


Off-Script

by Underthegallowws



Series: you and I burn on (like stars in hiding) [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: ACTOR LIAM DUNBAR, Actor Theo Raeken, Actors AU, Liam is a Disney Channel baby, M/M, Movie AU, Music AU, Singer Liam Dunbar, The Disney Channel AU no one asked for, Theo acts in the x-men movie, Theo had a hard life, They meet, Tw:internalized homophobia, Tw:suicide mention, all the aus, and Things happen, media fic, tw:alcoholism, tw:deadsister, tw:idiots in love, tw:ied, tw:suicidal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:49:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 50,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27595747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underthegallowws/pseuds/Underthegallowws
Summary: Liam's reputation as a squeaky-clean Disney actor is put on the line when Hayden is photographed kissing Theo Raeken on a night out, even though the world thinks Liam and Hayden are dating.Theo Raeken is bad news, and bad publicity; he's been on a downward spiral ever since his sister's death at the start of the year, however he seems to be trying to turn over a new leaf.When they accidentally end up on the same movie set, Liam assumes nothing good can come from meeting Theo.He never could have anticipated what happens instead
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Series: you and I burn on (like stars in hiding) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017490
Comments: 23
Kudos: 123
Collections: Thiam Big Bang 2020 Collection





	1. The Layden Scandal

**Author's Note:**

> Oh god, okay, this is it.  
> I really want to thank Manon for all the spiraling we did. I think half of this fic was written by spiraling, and only 10% made it in the final version. Special thanks to Jenna for the beta reading.  
> And of course, many, many thanks for my very understanding artist, Callum, who had to work with very little of this fic for so long ! Not only was he super supportive, but he also found ways to make the story better, and found the summary. Incredible person. He has made incredible things, please give him love :  
> https://snaeken.tumblr.com/post/634985556231798784/art-piece-1-of-2-for-underthegallowwss-story  
> https://snaeken.tumblr.com/post/634985560407212032/art-piece-2-of-2-for-underthegallowwss-story
> 
> And finally, thanks to the OTL server, and to everyone who said I was able to do that. You guys are incredible and I love you very much.
> 
> Also, please know that a part 2, called "Spotlight" will come one of these days, but this fic has an ending !  
> Love,  
> Take care,  
> M

**Liam Dunbar and Hayden Romero ready to tie the knot?**

With these two, we always have to read between the lines, but there is no mistaking the signs. Hayden was seen yesterday entering Los Angeles Bridal Crown, a well-known high-end wedding dress boutique, with a group of friends. While his girlfriend was probably looking for the dress of her dreams, Liam was spending time with his friend and former co-star, Mason Hewitt. The boys were seen at the Lakers game, clearly enjoying themselves. At the end of the day, Hayden posted a picture on Instagram with the two boys, stating that she “loves her life”. 

Liam and Hayden's story sounds like a fairytale. The two former Disney Channel Stars have been dating for two years now. Liam became well known for his role in “The Adventures of the Apprentice”, where he played the role of a pop star’s assistant for 49 episodes, while Hayden was the star of the tv-show “Let Them Dance”. In an interview a few months ago, they admitted falling in love while working on the Disney Channel Movie “Augustus”. 

He even dedicated his last single, “She’s All That”, to the young woman. And the lyrics do not lie, as Dunbar sings “She is the light and I’m the night, nothing can keep us apart, I only have a question to ask, I’ll make her say yes that’s my only task.”

Did Romero say yes?

It’s nothing new for two Disney Channel kids to fall in love, but a wedding? We’re waiting for an invitation guys!

* * *

**Theo Raeken arrested for drunk driving.**

Things do not seem to get better for Theo Raeken. 

After being fired from “Today, Tomorrow and Forever”, a tv-show he was in for many years, the new Hollywood bad boy is faced with charges of drunk driving. Witnesses at the scene of his arrest described him as “aggressive” as he tried to resist the arrest.

He was let go on bail in the morning, and should see a judge in the next couple of weeks.

It’s Raeken’s second arrest this month, after a fight three weeks ago in front of a club in New York, which ended with a fine of 10000$ for battery and 5000$ damages awarded to the victim.

* * *

**Raeken’s latest Instagram posts have his fans worried**

It has been a difficult year for Theo Raeken. Following the death of his sister on the 1st of January, the young actor’s life clearly took a turn for the worse.

After going invisible for two months, he went back to work, but according to internal sources, was found drunk three times on set. HBO fired him shortly after, stating that “ _ there were disagreements between the production team and the actor _ ”. 

But it didn’t stop Raeken, as he was seen partying more and more often, and eventually was arrested for battery in front of Club 68. This first meeting with law enforcement did not seem to stop him, as he was taken by the police again last week for drunk driving and resisting arrest.

Since then, he had been laying low, but a post from yesterday, published on Instagram, gathered a lot of comments from his fans, and his critics.

The picture is blurry, but the caption is quite clear. “Can’t wait to meet you up there, sis.”

Is Theo Raeken severely depressed, as some fans seem to think? Is he actually suicidal? Or is it just a cry for help?

* * *

  
  


**Cheater!**

When a picture of American sweetheart Hayden Romero appeared on Instagram Friday night, #Cheater became the most used hashtag on Twitter in less than an hour.

The young woman was photographed kissing well-known actor Theo Raeken, at a not-so-secret celebrity club, late in the night. After a very long debate between the believers in Layden (the nickname given by the fans to her relationship with Liam Dunbar) and those who were outraged by the picture, another set of candids was posted by someone at the club, confirming that, yes, the girl was Hayden Romero, and that indeed, she had been getting cozy with Raeken. To add insult to the injury, both actors were seen leaving together, hand in hand.

Everyone was shocked, as the last pieces of news about Hayden and Liam showed them closer than ever, and marriage was even discussed.

The pictures have since been deleted, but there are captions of them everywhere on the net, and especially on Twitter. Hayden has deactivated her Instagram, and has not answered any Tweets. Liam has not yet made a public statement.

Theo Raeken is also being attacked on his social media accounts. Mainly called a “homewrecker”, he hasn’t reacted officially as we write this article.

Here, at PeoplePleasers, we are just heartbroken. Can the young couple get over this difficult time? We will keep you updated on this story as it unfolds in front of our eyes. 

* * *

**@LiamDunbar**

Hi everyone, 

First of all, let me thank you all for the ongoing support you have given me these last few hours. I’m grateful to have such a strong relationship with every single one of you and I hope you will understand. Please do not bully Hayden, or Theo Raeken. They didn't do anything wrong. Hayden and I split up months ago, but for personal reasons we chose to keep the matters between us. We are still really good friends, and seeing all the hate going on right now makes me very sad for her. She was absolutely free to do whatever she wanted, and shaming women because they have fun is really not okay.

As for Theo Raeken, there is no need to attack him personally. This matter should have never been made public and it’s not fair to bully anyone on the internet.

I respectfully ask that we all try to forget about this whole episode, and try to go forward with our lives.

Sincerely yours, Liam.

* * *

  
  


“So… How long are we supposed to stay?” Mason asked, while reading the menu.

Liam looked at him with a smile he hoped would seem genuine.

“Long enough for people to notice me. Which shouldn’t be a problem. I think I already saw two paparazzi at the entrance.”

“And there’s one right behind that pot. Laugh.”

Liam put into practice his years of acting, making sure his laugh could be heard, and seen. “You’re too much, Mason,” he added, shaking his head. That would be good enough if someone was filming him and trying to read his lips. Which was something people apparently did sometimes.

Erica had all but ordered Liam to go out, and to be seen carrying on with his life, preferably happy. Mason, as his best friend, had agreed to scheme the whole outing, and he was glad he didn’t have to pretend he was actually having fun.

“Did you keep away from the articles online?” The model asked, before taking a sip from his glass of water.

Liam shook his head, and then pretended to be interested by the menu. “I tried. But you know me…”

“You’re too curious for your own good. Didn’t you have a class about how to deal with a situation like that?”

“Yeah. I think it was called  _ What to do when everything goes wrong. _ ”

“I still can’t believe they made you take classes about how to be a star.”

“Disney Channel, baby,” Liam answered, before laughing again, like what he said was really funny.

“Don’t overdo it. You’re not usually that happy,” Mason commented, before laughing himself, but quieter. “See? That’s how you act.”

“Remind me why we’re friends again?”

“Because I’m the only person on this planet who can deal with you when you just want to punch everyone in the face.”

“I never punched you.”

Mason pretended to gasp, his hand against his heart. “How could you? Look at that perfect profile. I look good on both sides, and I’m not the one who said it, the last campaign I did was awesome, and everyone knows it.”

“Yeah, you’re handsome and I’m dumb. Nothing new under the sun.”

“Smile.” Mason said, and Liam felt his cheeks ache from the forced movements. “Good. Oh, waiter incoming.”

“Are you ready to order?” The young woman said, while eyeing Liam a little too hard. 

“Yeah. I’ll have an ice-tea with some ice,” he answered, a charming smile on her face, while he offered her the menu back.

“Same. But please kick it with a shot of tequila,” Mason added. 

Liam kept himself from asking the same. Even though he was now officially of legal age, Disney didn’t like its actors being seen drinking alcohol. He was occasionally allowed one glass of champagne at an official celebration, but that was it. Any alcohol ingested had better be in a red solo cup, or hidden from the public eye. And it wasn’t only alcohol. Smoking was prohibited, as were vulgarity, shouting, or having an opinion on almost anything. He couldn’t even officially cheer for his favorite baseball team, because there was always a chance someone in his audience, or in his fans, would be revolted by his choice.  _ Never antagonize your fans, _ Erica always said. And Erica knew what she was talking about. 

“I’m really tired.” He finally told Mason. “So freaking tired.”

  
  


* * *

Going incognito was even harder than what people would imagine. It had taken Liam years to be able to do it correctly, and he had been recognized more times than he could remember. By now, he had his routine, and he stuck to it.

He messed up his hair, making it look longer than it really was. Then, he took a grey beanie and put it on the top, lazily holding some locks against his head. He washed his face twice, and tried to pinch his cheeks so they would look like he was fresh out of the winter air. And after all that, he had to select the clothes. His style was definitely different from what Disney liked him to wear, which was good. A baggy pair of jeans, some old shoes, and a metal rock band t-shirt were perfect to blend in. Then, there was his posture. He loosened up his shoulders, and tried to remember not to walk too fast. Fast people stood out in the crowd, and that was exactly what he was trying to avoid. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. He winced when all he could muster was a small, sad smile. He knew he had to do better, in case someone ended up recognizing him. He couldn’t be seen sulking around. 

He checked his phone, and saw that Mason was already waiting for him in the parking lot of the hotel. When he really didn’t want to be followed, that’s how they proceeded. Liam would walk to a hotel, change completely, and find Mason’s rented car somewhere in a closed parking lot. Until now, no paparazzis had ever been able to see through their little shenanigans. He made sure he had enough cash on him, because using his card would be taking the risk of someone reading his name, and then he switched his professional phone off.

As always, he shot a text to his mother, telling her where he was going - somewhere north, with whom - always Mason, and told her to take care of herself. He wished he could see her more, but between the shootings, the outings, and the traveling, it was getting harder and harder. At least, his recent stunt meant that he would be pretty free in the weeks to come. Maybe they could go on holiday. He wasn’t sure if she could take a few days off work, but they didn’t need the money, so all she needed was the okay for her boss. Which she would probably get, as long as Liam agreed to a few signed pictures. Yeah. That was a good idea. 

He hadn’t been so sure about leaving California, but he knew Mason was right. He needed a few days away from the spotlight, and he loved taking the road. There were a few albums he hadn’t had time to listen to, and he couldn’t wait for them to discover the new music. Maybe it would inspire him. After a second of doubt, he took his writing journal and discarded it in his bag. He had no hope of being able to write anything soon, but he felt naked when he didn’t have at least the small leather book, and his guitar. 

The guitar he didn’t have to worry about, as he gave it to Mason the day before. It didn’t make sense for him to try to be invisible while carrying a freaking guitar. The fact that he had to plan so many things, to think of so many details, just to have a chance to spend the weekend with his best friend hit him harder than it ever did before. He knew this was not how things were supposed to go, but he had no notion of normalcy anymore. He was just trying to survive, in a world where every eye hoped to see him fall. He couldn’t take any risks, he couldn’t make any mistakes. His perfect life was his best publicity stunt. At least, that’s what Disney had taught him.

He braced himself, faced this reflection one more second, adjusted the beanie on his head, and opened the door to the outside word.

  
If he was lucky enough, he would be able to be  _ Just Liam  _ for a few hours. Were a few hours too much to ask for? 


	2. The Roadtrip

The plan worked perfectly, but Liam still hid his face from anyone who could look at the car during the first kilometers. Once they left Los Angeles, he was happy to get rid of the beanie, and to finally open the window. He closed his eyes as the fresh wind started whipping around his face, cleaning his mind from all the memories of the last few days.

“Feeling better already?” Mason asked, his driving slowed down, like he was making sure Liam could get the most of their roadtrip.

“Yeah. It feels good,” Liam admitted, his eyes still closed. “How long until we reach the halfway house?”

“A few hours.” 

“Do I get to drive?”

“Nope. I don't wanna die before I’m on the cover of Vogue Magazine.”

Liam laughed at that, finally opening his eyes to look at Mason. Even if they didn’t expect any pictures of them to be taken, he had clearly gone out of his way to look good, like he always did. From the green accented color of his dress-shirt, to the way his hair was stylized, Mason looked put together in a cool way. Definitely the contrary of Liam, who loved being able to just slouch in old clothes.

“So, Corey Bryant. How did you even…”

“We met at an after-party in Paris. He was shooting a movie there, and I went for the Fashion Week, as you would probably remember if you cared enough about my career.”

“ I remember!” Liam quickly said. “You went for Valentino.”

Mason looked at him, quizzed, before sighing. “I did Dior, Liam. Dior. It’s the highlight of my whole life, the best thing that ever happened to me, maybe the only occasion to wear something that cost more than the insurance Disney has for your face.”

“Well, what can I say, they like my face.”

“That’s tragic.”

Liam laughed, before foraging through Mason’s bag, finding a bottle of orange juice. 

“So, Corey Bryant… You didn’t answer me.”

Oh, and was that a blush on Mason’s face? Liam’s best friend was looking at the road a little too intensely.

“Yeah,” he said, slowly. “We met in Paris, and we exchanged numbers. It was like… three months ago? And I didn’t really think about it, because… If you knew the number of people who give you their number at those events. And he looked really cute, and was pretty funny. He’s English, and you know how I feel about the English accent…”

“Yeah, you would totally sex anyone from Downton Abbey. Even Maggie Smith.” Liam said with a smile.

Mason looked at him like he had just insulted his ancestors.

“It’s Dame Maggie Smith, Liam! You of all people should know that. And no, I wouldn’t sex her up, but I would kiss the ground she walks on. She’s awesome.”

“That we agree on. Now, back to your crush…”

“I don’t have a crush!” Mason said, his hands clamping the wheel. “Not really? I mean, he is insanely attractive, but I didn’t think anything would come from it. And then he texted me about his new movie, and that he was going to be in Canada and I answered that at least we would be on the same continent.”

“Smooth.”

“Shut up. He said that it was up to me to be in the same city as he was.”

Liam looked at his best friend, dumbfounded.

“So a guy kind of flirts with you by texts after a three-month silence…”

“We did text a few times before…”

“And he just says he is going to be hundreds of miles away instead of thousands…”

“That’s so not how it went…”

“And you decide to cross half of America to… What, say hi?”

Mason didn’t answer immediately. He kept looking at the road in front of them. Then, he looked quickly at Liam and winced.

“Kinda?”

There was a long silence, during which they could only hear the motor, and the radio playing low. And then, Liam started laughing. His first honest laugh since the whole Hayden thing. Mason laughed too, and it felt good.

“You’re bat-shit crazy,” he said, with no heat behind it.

“And you love that,” Mason answered, a small smile at the corner of his lips.

* * *

They arrived at the house Mason had asked one of his friends to rent a little before midnight, tired out by their day on the road, but happy. Mason had packed beers, and snacks, and they spent some time hanging out on the terrace, looking at the illuminated lights of the nearest city.

“How do you feel?” Mason finally asked, and Liam didn’t answer. His best friend stared at him, before sighing. “Like… Honestly.”

“Like everything is messed up.” Liam whispered, his eyes on the view. “I don’t want to blame Hayden, but there’s a part of me who… You know, it wasn’t supposed to go that way.”

“Yeah. You thought you could just break up, and say to the world that you had grown up, and only wanted to be friends.”

“I hate that she’s the one taking shit for this. But I get it. It’s hard not being able to date, or at least not officially. It's hard to hide what you feel, and it’s hard not to be allowed to fall for someone because there’s always a risk that this person will talk. We pretended for so long. But I wished she hadn’t done it that way. I get that she was drunk, which isn’t going to help her case for Disney, but even when I was drunk, I’ve always remembered what I wasn’t supposed to do.”

“And now, it’s done,” Mason said, his voice hopeful. “Now, you don’t have to pretend anymore, Li. You’re free to date, free to love…”

“It’s not that easy. There are still so many rules and so many things…”

“It is that easy. Why do you care so much about following all those guidelines? I mean, clearly, Disney isn’t happy with you right now, so what’s the point? You could just let yourself be. You could try to find someone who really cares about you for who you are, and not only for the spotlight.”

Liam groaned, pinching his nose.

“Yeah? And who would that be, Mase? Everyone seems to know me. I haven’t dated anyone since Hayden. And you know how it is. If I end up with another celebrity, the rumors won’t stop. I don’t want any of it. I just want to be left alone.”

“Yeah?” Mason breathed out. “Then that’s what we’re going to do. Leave you alone.”

Liam took his can and finished it. He felt the slow burning of the alcohol down his throat, and he tried to convince himself not to have another. “I’m glad I have you, Mase,” he finally said with a small, sad smile. “I think you’re the only person I can trust right now.”

“Apart from your mother.”

“Yeah, apart from my mom.”

* * *

The next day, they woke up late in the morning, but for the first time in a long time, Liam didn’t have anywhere to go, or anything to do, and it felt good. They only knew they were going to take to the road again, and drive North. Mason ate his breakfast, some fruit and oatmeal, while Liam indulged in Oreos. Screw Disney’s rules about sugar. He needed it. Mason laughed as Liam tried to put as many biscuits as he could in his mouth, only to almost choke on them. 

When Mason started driving again, Liam selected one of his favorite playlists and closed his eyes. The sun was shining through the windshield and he felt it warm up his face, making the car an even more perfect place to be. He thought about it for a second. He had money, and a driving licence. Maybe after this trip, he could go buy one of those fast cars and go on his own road trip. He would miss Mason, obviously, but he had been honest when he said he just wanted some alone time. Well, at least, some time away from the rest of the world. From the pictures, from the rumours; from Hollywood.

* * *

When they finally arrived in Vancouver, Liam felt almost at ease. The fact that he was not in the USA anymore, and the shared hours with Mason had made him happier. The model was navigating around, checking the GPS every minute, and before long, they arrived at what looked like a check-point.

  
A security guy was guarding the entrance of a parking lot. Liam looked the other way, uneasy with anyone knowing where he was.

“Hi. We came to see Corey Bryant?” Mason said, his usual smile on point.

The guys laughed at that. “Yeah, you and half of the city. This part is staff only. You can wait for him with the rest of the girls, on Grand Street. He might pass by to sign some autographs.”

“You don’t get it… He personally invited us,” Mason explained, his tone a little heavier, and Liam quickly glanced at their interlocutor. He was tall, and broad, and probably not the kind of guy you could negotiate with.

“As I said, staff only. Please leave this entrance, or I’ll have to call the police.”

Mason seemed to want to argue, but Liam grabbed his arm. “Let’s go,” he whispered. “You can text Corey and ask him to come get us. I really don’t need to be seen with the police right now.”

Mason nodded, and drove around, before stopping a few meters away. He took his phone and started typing. Liam was still looking at the security guy, frowning. 

“What’s that movie exactly? Sounds fancy.”

Mason lifted his eyes from his phone, looking at Liam with concern.

“Liam. I told you when I proposed the whole thing. It’s the new X-Men.”

“Oh, cool!” Liam reacted, happy at that thought. He had always loved fantasy, and had watched the X-Men movies multiple times. But then, he remembered a specific piece of information.

“Oh. No. Not cool. Not cool at all. Mason, we have to go!”

“What?”

Liam looked around him, panic suddenly flooding his heart.

“The X-Men movie. Theo Raeken, he just got cast…”

“Oh my god. I didn’t… I mean, I’m pretty sure he won’t be on set at the same time as Corey?”

“I can’t go, Mase. I can’t be seen around that guy. Also I feel like punching him in the face and you’re the one who told me I should avoid doing that. And there’s the fact that he probably hates me so...”

“Yeah, I get it. We’ll have to…”

But someone suddenly tapped against the window, and both boys jumped. Wrapped in a jacket that was at least two sizes too big for him, Corey Bryant was smiling at them.

“Hey guys!”

Liam looked at him, and then at Mason, who seemed split between getting Liam out of there quickly, and looking at Corey’s face. The whole  _ this is not a crush _ was clearly bullshit, because Mason was clearly making heart-eyes at the actor, and Corey was reciprocating. 

“... Hi,” Mason breathed out, a flirty smile on his face. “You look good.”

Corey laughed at that, holding the jacket closer around him. “Yeah, that’s totally my style. I’m sure if Galliano saw me in this, he would book me for the next New York fashion week.”

Okay, so the guy had a cute accent, was handsome, liked Mason, and he also spoke his language? Liam would be damned if he was the reason why these two didn’t get to spend more time together.

“Hi, Corey,” he said with a small smile. He retrieved his beanie and tried to tame his hair, giving the actor some time to put a name on his face. 

“Hi Liam. I’m glad you came. I didn’t really like the idea of Mason driving alone for two days.”

Liam looked at his best friend, a frown on his face.

“You told me you had decided on this road trip for me?”

Mason shrugged, rubbing his neck. “Yeah, well, maybe I already had something in mind? I mean, I probably wouldn’t have come so soon but…”

“That’s fine,” Liam decided. He couldn’t hold a grudge on Mason for long, and he understood that his friend had really wanted to see his crush again. “I’m happy to be of help,” he said to Corey, who smiled even more. What was it with this guy and smiles?

“Cool. Let’s go inside. I’m sure you don’t want anyone seeing you around, right?” He said to Liam, while Mason opened his door. “I can totally get you a wig, or a fake mustache.”

“Well, thank you Corey,” Liam answered, before looking at Mason. “See, I think this one will do.”

He didn’t miss the way both Corey and Mason blushed at the same time.

* * *

The security guy looked at them, and then at Corey, before stepping aside. “Please.” He said, and Mason looked at him with interest. Liam nudged the model. “Don’t make a scene.”

Corey didn’t seem to notice, with how happy he was that Mason was there. He showed them the place, pointing at the different trailers, the stage, the onsite restaurant, and some other things Liam didn’t really care about.

“I have a scene in an hour, so I should go to make-up soon, but feel free to look around.”

“Can we watch the shooting?” Mason asked quickly. “For… Liam’s acting career. It could be interesting.” 

Liam looked at his best friend, trying to convey how unbelievable he was. He promised himself to mock him for the rest of their days for his behaviour, and it helped him nod to Corey.

“Yeah. Research purposes.”

Corey winced. “Sorry guys. The inside scenes are totally confidential. Even my sister can’t enter the place.”

Mason looked disappointed, but he offered the actor a small smile.

“It’s okay. I’ll guess we’ll stick around?” His voice rose, as he was looking for confirmation on Liam’s side. And if Liam was anything, he was a good friend, and probably the best of the best friends, because he made sure to look - at least a little bit - excited.

“Yeah. I feel like I need to see  _ everything. _ ”

“Cool. Cool, cool, cool,” Corey said, before turning to Mason. “I’ll text you once I’m done. Hmm, I have… I have a pass in my pocket. Here you go. Stay together, and keep that, in case one of the guys come and ask what the heck Liam Dunbar is doing on an X-Men shoot.”

* * *

Liam kept his head down and tried not to glance too heavily at the people on set. He was pretty sure he had just seen Scott McCall, who was the third best paid actor in America, and Malia Tate, who was supposedly Scott’s actual girlfriend. The guy went through girls faster than Liam through seasons of his own shows.

It was weird, being in the middle of this effervescence, and, for once, not being the one it was about. From an outside perspective, the set looked nuts, with many people running around, talking in micros, or on the phone, moving around entire set pieces. He tried not to bother anyone, hiding the best he could. And then he finally found a chair near the make-up trailer. He sat, and kept looking at the awkward dance in front of him.

“That’s my chair.”

The voice was haughty, coming from behind him, and he almost had a heart attack. He stood up quickly, and started to apologize.

“I didn’t know… I just tried not to… Oh.”

And yes,  _ oh _ . Because in front of him, Theo Raeken was smirking.

“Hello, Liam Dunbar.”

* * *

They stayed silent a long moment, face to face, Liam feeling fraught, and Theo looking lofty. Then, before Liam could find something to say, Theo sighed, and sat in his now vacant chair.

“I try not to sit too close to the other actors. It ruins my creativity,” he explained, crossing his legs and making himself comfortable.

“...Seriously?”

Theo looked at him like he was the worst idiot he had ever been faced with.

“Do you think I’m that much of an asshole?” He asked Liam, visibly pained, and Liam had to answer, a soundly, “No. I mea…”, when Theo’s face morphed into mockery again.

“Don’t worry, Disney Boy. I’m just playing around. I don’t really care if you think I’m some kind of dick.”

“I just… Don’t know you?” Liam said, lost. It was hard to keep up with Theo’s reactions. The guy seemed alert, and smart. Not really how he had pictured him from the different articles he had read.

Theo laughed a little.

“You’re the guy who defended my honor on Twitter. My very own knight in shining armor. How suiting.”

“I’m not… I didn’t…”

“I knew I was breathtaking, but that is a little bit too much, even for me. Take your time, Mickey Mouse.”

“Could you stop it with the nicknames?” Liam finally found himself able to say. He clenched his fists, and tried to contain himself. “I’m also the guy you didn’t care about when you kissed my girlfriend.”

Theo looked at him, and mimicked. “Your  _ girlfriend _ . Yeah. I mean, I suppose I could tell you that I had no idea who she was, or that she had a boyfriend. Does that redeem me?”

“How could you not know? I mean, Hayden is like… Super famous.”

Theo sighed, and looked at his nails, like they were the most fascinating thing on set.

“I wasn’t really sober. Not at all, in fact. I was so drunk that I didn’t even know she was a girl, even less a celebrity.” And then, he squinted his eyes. “I know I’m not really the best person ever, but I’m not the kind of person who does  _ that. _ ”

Liam didn’t answer, trying to decide whether or not to trust Theo. In the end, he decided that he had no reason not to. So, he very politely held out his hand, which Theo looked with eyes wide. When he finally glanced at Liam’s face, he muttered “Seriously?”

The singer didn’t answer. He kept his hand where it was, and waited, until Theo finally, and very slowly, shook it. “I’m Liam”, he said. “Liam Dunbar.”

“Yeah. I know. And I’m Theo Raeken.”

Liam nodded. “I know. I just… We had never been properly introduced.”

“I don’t usually spend time with my one-night stand’s exes.”

Okay, Liam was taking back all the trust he had put in the guy. He was clearly trying to rile him up, and it was working.

“Don’t talk about Hayden like that.”

Theo seemed interested in his reaction. He stretched in the chair, and his smile became colder. More controlled.

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll punch your nose so hard it will end up in your brain.”

And Theo… Theo laughed, a genuine laugh. When he looked at Liam again, the smile had reached his eyes, making his face completely different.

“I think I like you.” Theo decided, before standing up. “I have to go, though. You know, hair things, make up…” He moved one of his hands around his face, cupping his own jaw. “It takes time and work to look like that. See you around, Prince Charming.”

Liam only stared, silent. And when Theo walked next to him, he felt the other boy coming closer, and a whisper in his ear.

“Also, that was totally not my chair.”

Yeah, Theo Raeken was definitely an asshole. 

* * *

“Liam! Where were you?” 

Mason came to him, as people were running around them, shouting code words at each other.

“I… I met Theo Raeken.” He saw Mason’s mouth open, and his eyes became worried. “Nothing bad happened! Well, I mean, he’s a dick, and we kind of had an argument but I didn’t punch him.”

“Thank god. Are you okay?”

Liam shrugged, and Corey appeared from nowhere. “Hey there!” 

Mason looked at him, clearly thinking about his options, before sighing. “Hey. I’m sorry, Corey, but I think we have to leave.”

The actor must have been really smitten with Mason, because a pout immediately appeared on his face. “But… Why?”

“Theo Raeken is here.”

It took Corey a few seconds, looking at Mason, and then at Liam, before he understood. “Shit. I’m sorry. I should have thought about that.”

“It’s fine.” Liam said, but Mason was already checking his pockets, probably for his keys. And it sucked, because they had driven for so long, and Mason really seemed to like the guy, and once again, Liam’s problems were keeping him from having his own life. “I think…”

“We can find a hotel nearby.” Mason was already planning. “And there are so many things to see in Vancouver, right.”

“Mase…” Liam tried again.

“You have to take me to that restaurant you said was awesome.”

“Mason.”

“And we could probably visit another city. When in Rome…”

“Mason!” Liam said, louder, and he finally got the attention of his best friend. “I think we should stay.”

“What?”

“I already met Theo. Nothing bad is gonna happen. I don’t think he wants anything to tarnish his new perfect image.”

“The guy is keeping to himself,” Corey commented, and it was easy to see that he was genuinely excited by the idea of Mason staying. “Also, I’m not shooting for another few hours so I could take you to meet some of the actors?”

“Yeah, great idea. You coming, Mase?”

But his best friend was still frowning.

“What if people take pictures? What would Erica say?”

“There will be nothing to be said. In fact, it would be pretty good. I would be the forgiving one, and it would show that I’m like, an adult, able not to throw a tantrum when everything goes bad.”

“I’m not sure, Liam. Don’t you want to call her?”

Liam took a few seconds to think about it, before shaking his head. “Nah. Easier to say sorry than please.”

Corey laughed at that.

* * *

Liam couldn’t believe he was sitting next to Scott McCall, and talking to him about his experiences on set. The guy was so cool, and so nice. He had heard good things, of course, but there was no way to know for sure, about celebrities, and Scott was exactly the same in life as he was in the interviews Liam had seen. 

Lydia Martin was there too, reading something on a tablet, her nails perfectly manicured. She was wearing an X-Men suit that did nothing to hide her body, and he was trying really hard not to stare.

“I have a guitar in my trailer.” Scott said, while checking his phone. “I can go and get it? I’m sure you can find something to sing to us.”

“Anything but Wonderwall,” Corey said, addressing Liam for the first time in what felt like hours. He had been quite busy chatting with Mason in a corner.

“... Sure.”

Scott smiled, and left quickly. Liam took the time to check his texts. One was from Erica, telling him she was still talking to Disney. The other one was from his mother, asking him when he planned on visiting. He promised he would go to her house soon, and when he put his phone back in his pocket, a guitar was offered to him.

“Thanks.”

He took the guitar, and plucked a few chords before tuning it with attention. When the sound was finally to his liking, he raised his head only to be met with the full attention of the room. And now just behind Lydia was Theo, who he hadn’t heard coming in. The actor was reading what looked like a script. 

“So, what do you want me to play?” Liam finally asked, and Scott shrugged. “Something we all know?”

Liam nodded, and took his time trying to find a song that would suit the atmosphere. He looked at Mason, who raised an eyebrow, challenging him silently. Oh. That song. 

He strummed the guitar, finding the harmonics easily. How many times had he played that piece, just for Hayden and Mason? He could probably perform it in his sleep. His new audience didn’t seem to recognize the tune immediately, probably not used to the guitar arrangement. But when Liam finally sang the first lyrics, Scott’s face broke into a bigger grin. 

“ _I threw a wish in the well, don’t ask me I’ll never tell, I looked to you as it fell, and now you’re in my way._ ”

Liam heard Corey chuckle, and he smiled himself. There was no way he could play that song without feeling like the teenager who used to sing it at the top of his lungs.

“ _I’d trade my soul for a wish, pennies and dimes for a kiss, I wasn’t looking for this, but now you’re in my way._ ” 

He stood up, still playing, and Mason’s voice joined him.

“ _Your.. Stare was holding. Ripped jeans… Skin was showing. Hot night… Wind was blowing_.”

Scott joined them, clearly off-key but having a blast. 

“ _Where you think you’re going baby?_ ”

Mason offered his hand to Corey, and they started singing too, and dancing awkwardly in the middle of the trailer. Liam looked at Lydia, who was still pretending to watch her iPad. He took a few steps towards her.

“ _Hey, I just met you._ ”

She raised an eyebrow, and Scott laughed behind him.

“ _And this is crazy…_ ”

It was clear she was trying to keep the smile off her face, but Liam felt encouraged by the way the corner of her lips were moving. 

“ _But here’s my number…_ ”

She sighed, and finally looked at him.

“ _So call me maybe?_ ”

She shook her head, but she was amused, and he smiled at her.

“ _Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy. But here’s my number, so call me maybe?_ ”

Liam left her, facing the other people in the room. Scott was probably partially tone-deaf, but he didn’t seem to care, as he sang the next verse like his life depended on it. 

“ _You took your time with the call, I took no time with the fall, you gave me nothing at all, but still you’re in my way…_ ”

Liam’s eyes left the actor, to land on Theo, whose head was bobbing to the rhythm of the music. His lips were moving silently, as he clearly knew the song, but he didn’t seem ready to engage in the same show that Scott was giving. And if there was one thing that Liam loved in life, it was music, and its capacity to bring people together. So, he took a step in Theo’s direction, facing him.

“ _I beg and borrow and steal, at first sight and it’s real, I didn’t know I would feel it, but it’s in my way._ ”

Theo was still not looking at him, and Liam couldn’t have that. Not when Lydia had accepted Scott’s hand and was now singing with Corey. He came even closer, close enough that Theo couldn’t avoid his eyes.

“ _Your stare was holding. Ripped jeans, skin was showing, hot night, wind was blowing… Where you think you’re going baby_?”

He waited, and waited, doing the same few strings a few times, until everyone was looking at Theo, and waiting for a reaction. The guy finally let go of his script, and sighed, like this was the most painful experience ever, but there was something in his eyes that convinced Liam it was just an act, as he finally joined them. 

“ _Hey, I just met you…_ ”

Everyone seemed satisfied, and all the voices merged as they sang the rest of the song together, Scott giving it his all, Lydia clearly not straining her voice, and Theo almost shy.

“ _And this is crazy. But here’s my number… So call me maybe!_ ”

Liam played the last harmony a few times, as they all laughed. 

“That was awesome!” Scott declared, sitting back on his chair, his cheeks red. “Let me take a picture for insta.”

And before Liam had a chance to think about how bad this could be, or the repercussions of this, he was smiling between Corey and Lydia, Theo’s head peeking behind them. 

“So cool. What should I write as a caption?”

Corey took Scott’s phone, and typed quickly. “Now that your PR is done, can we have another song Liam?”

He gave in, a smile on his face. 

* * *

  
  


**#SatisfiedOrNot : Dunbar / Raeken, a friendship?**

After the notorious #Haydengate, we thought that Liam Dunbar, Hayden Romero’s ex boyfriend, would probably never want to cross paths with Theo Raeken. And we weren’t the only ones, as the whole internet got interested in the feud. Some said that Liam’s tentative plan to clear both Romero and Raeken was just a publicity stunt not to lose face. Others claimed Romero and Raeken had been in a relationship for a while, and that Liam knew about it. There are even some people who thought Liam and Theo were sharing Hayden.

Well, the thing nobody expected was to see both boys at the same place, at the same time, and apparently… friends? Yes, you’ve read that right. As Theo Raeken is currently shooting ‘X-Men: Tomorrow Awaits’, in Toronto, Liam Dunbar was seen on the set of the movie, with his best friend and model Mason Hewitt. And how do we know that? Well, Scott McCall, who is now also part of the franchise, posted a picture where the two boys stand not far from each other. And the caption said “Hey, I just met you...”

It’s pretty clear that there is no heat between the boys, which could mean that Liam said the truth in his disclaimer. How shocking! Did Disney really encourage him to lie? Or did he just lose control of the game? 

Well, one thing is sure: Liam Dunbar looks pretty happy in the picture, and Theo Raeken seems to be doing well, especially as he was still in rehab a few weeks ago. Both of these boys certainly deserve some peace. And we, at ScoopToday, are  _ satisfied  _ with that! 

* * *

  
  


**Tumblr: @iliveinafairytaleofashesandburnttrees**

Okay but this is wild guys. Not only did Liam clearly state that he wasn’t with Hayden anymore, he is literally going around hanging with the guy she shagged. Like seriously :laughingemoji::laughingemoji::laughingemoji: It’s like he doesn’t even care anymore!

Go Liam! Fuck Disney!

**Tumblr : @gogaysgogaysgogays**

Am I the only one thinking Liam Dunbar and Theo Raeken would make beautiful babies? Yes? Okay :(

**Tumblr : @acoldandlonelynightoutside**

I don’t really care about Liam’s friends or anything, but I’m not sure Theo Raeken is the best person to be around these days. After the whole Hayden thing, I hope he is not in a bad headspace… :sademoji:

* * *

“Liam?” Mason called, and the actor stopped scrolling through his mail. They were still in Corey’s trailer, and if the others had left quickly after the song, Corey had stayed there.

“Hm?”

“Corey is offering to take us to a really good restaurant.”

Liam suddenly realised how hungry he was. He opened his mouth to accept immediately, but then, he did a double take on Mason’s face. His best friend's cheeks were flushed, and his eyes a little pleading. Oh. Of course.

Liam pretended to sigh.

“I don’t think Erica would be happy with me.”

Mason raised an eyebrow, and offered a sheepish smile to Corey.

“I’m sorry…”

Liam pocketed his phone, and stood up. “No! No, I mean, you should go. With Corey.”

“Are you sure? We don’t have to…”

“Mason. You should go.” Liam said, with an honest smile. His best friend had been there through everything he had faced, and he clearly deserved some quality time with his crush. “I am tired, I’ll just head to the hotel and make it an early night.”

“I can have a driver take you there.” Corey offered. “We have a few on call. Dark windows, you should be fine.”

“Thanks.”

It took a few minutes to arrange the car coming to get him, and Liam waited near the entrance. He looked at his phone, and saw he had missed a call from his publicist. Erica had left a short message,  _ Call me back, now,  _ and he pondered with the idea of just ignoring her, before admitting to himself that the quicker he would do it, the less painful it would be.

As she always did, she took his call before the phone had time to ring twice.

“ _ Are you trying to kill me? _ ”

“Hi Erica. I’m fine, how are you?”

“ _ A picture with Raeken? After everything… Liam, what were you thinking about? _ ”

“I didn’t post it.”

“ _ Even worse. Do you know how many followers Scott McCall has? _ ”

“I take it he has a lot?”

“ _ Thirty eight. Million. _ ”

“Oh.”

_ “Yes. Oh. What did you even think about?” _

“I thought you would be glad.”

“ _ Why the heck would I be glad? You didn’t even ask me… _ ”

“I’m on holidays with Mason, and we happened to stumble on these guys, it wasn’t planned.”

“ _ You don't stumble on the X-Men set, Liam. Don’t take me for an idiot. _ ”

He sighed, and entered the car, whispering his hotel’s address to the driver.

“I don’t see the big deal, Erica. People would have noticed me on the set either way. Ignoring Theo Raeken wouldn’t have made this better.”

“ _ That we agree on. You know what would have made it better? Not going on the set where the guy was filming! You have no idea how quickly things can go south, Liam. I asked only one thing of you, and it was to carry on with your life, and not make any waves. _ ”

“Well, it’s too late for that. Gotta roll with the punches now, right?”

She sighed, and he felt guilty for a second. He definitely didn’t make her job easy. But he also knew that if Erica had it her way, he would have been locked up in a mansion somewhere, only going out for appearances. 

“ _ You are going to be the death of me. No more pictures with Raeken, are we clear? And when exactly are you coming back to LA? I need to plan a few things and… _ ”

“I’ll keep you updated. I am thinking about going to my mother next.”

“ _ Not the best idea. You can’t look like you are sulking right now. _ ”

“I know, I know. I’ll make sure to be seen all happy and perfectly fine. Will send you the details.”

“ _ Can you try to stay out of trouble for like, a week? Just once. _ ”

“Yeah, sure. I’ve got to go, I’m almost at my hotel.”

“ _ Text me. _ ” She ordered, before cutting the call. 

* * *

Liam made it to his room, before his phone beeped again. He checked it out, while undressing.

_ WHAT DID YOU SAY TO RAEKEN? -Erica _

He typed the answer, frowning.

_ Nothing special. Why? -Liam _

_ He is following you. On insta. -Erica _ _   
_ _ I swear to god, Liam… -Erica _

Liam opened the application, and quickly typed Theo’s name, only to see the small notification. Why would Theo follow him? He checked his mentions, and saw that Scott had linked his profile to the picture. That could explain it. Still, he had no interest in being friends with Theo, and he was pretty sure the guy didn’t even like him. 

_ I didn’t say anything to him! And I won’t follow him back. You can chill out. -Liam _

He switched off his phone, and went to take a shower.

* * *

Despite pretending he didn’t care, Liam found himself checking Theo’s instagram as he ate the food the hotel had brought into his room. 

“Oh.” He finally said, out loud.

Every single recent picture posted was a square, black or white. It might have been an aesthetic, but it still felt weird. The only colorful pictures were dated from the year before, and even then, it was only group pictures. here weren’t a lot of posts, and he was pretty sure some might have been deleted because the page didn’t account for a span of six months, just before he started filming the X-Men movie. Theo’s instagram seemed to be just like him, bringing more questions than answers. Liam scrolled to the top, and looked at the bio. 

_ 01/01/2019. _

It took him a second to understand, before the reality hit him. He remembered the articles, and knew that Theo’s sister had died. He was almost sure it had happened at the beginning of the year. His thumb hovered over the date. The first of January. Of course.

He switched on the TV, but didn’t pay it really attention. Instead, he opened Theo’s page again, checking the pictures, looking at a life through a black and white filter. He wondered how long was an acceptable time spent on someone who had made his life a mess, before searching for Scott’s Instagram. He smiled at the colorful pictures, and the motivational quotes. After a few seconds of hesitation, he clicked on  _ follow _ , and did the same with Corey’s, Lydia’s and even Malia’s. 

Then, he grabbed a pillow and let himself fall asleep.

* * *

The next day, he was awakened by his phone ringing.

“Yeah?” He croaked, trying to blink away the sleep.

“Li! I’m so sorry I didn’t text you yesterday evening, we went to a restaurant and I kind of lost…”

“Hi Mase.”

“Nevermind, I’m in front of your door. Could you open it?”

Liam picked himself out of the bed, and walked to the entrance of the suite. When he opened the door, Mason smiled at him, a plate full of delicacies in the hand.

“Room service?”

“Coffee.” Liam answered, grabbing one of the cups, and walking back to the bed. “So, how was your date?”

“It wasn’t a date.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, sipping on the hot beverage. Mason seemed to blush.

“It wasn’t! We just went to a nice restaurant and had great food. And a great conversation.”

“Worth the thousands of miles to get there?”

Mason punched his arm jokingly, before smiling.

“Yeah. I think so.”

Liam drank a little bit more coffee, while looking at Mason’s face. Despite insisting he wasn’t involved with Corey, it was easy to see he was interested in the actor. There was something in his eyes, something Liam hadn’t seen in a while. Mason didn’t have the best track record with relationships. And if, for once, he was able to find someone who would be good to him, Liam couldn’t help but be happy. 

“Tell me more about him?”

Mason hesitated, before grabbing one of the croissants, and biting in it. “He is like super nice. Down to earth. He has done so many things, seen so many people, and still… It was like he didn’t care about anyone but me. His accent is… God, his accent is so sexy, and he doesn’t even try. He asked questions, and he seemed interested in my answers, and he made jokes, I made jokes…” Mason looked at Liam, and sobered up. “It’s silly, I know. I’ve met him twice, and he is like a super-star. It’s not like I have any chance…”

“Mase”, Liam interrupted. “Mase, the guy gave you his number, and he looked freaking happy when he saw you yesterday. He doesn’t look like the kind of person who plays around.”

“Still, I don’t think… You know, he probably has so many people at his feet. I’m just…”

“You are Mason Hewitt. Not only are you super good looking, you are smart, and funny, and people love you. He would be an idiot not to try to get you.”

Mason took another bite of the croissant. “Do you really think so?”

“Yeah. I really do.”

* * *

They finished their breakfast, before getting ready for the day. Liam didn’t go full anonymous. People knew he was in Toronto now, and there was no point in trying to not be recognized. Mason, on the other end, took almost an hour, trying different shirts, until Liam reminded him that Corey probably didn’t care about his clothes.

“The guy likes you, Mase.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’m pretty sure I do. Come on. Let’s go see the love of your life.”

“He isn’t…”

They entered the dark car, and Mason used his phone to check how he looked like, as Liam, went quickly into his mention. He tried to ignore all the messages brought by Scott’s post, and smiled at a few nice tweets. It was rare he had to see angry or insulting messages, as Erica made sure to clean his account a few times a day. In the beginning, it hadn’t been the case, but with popularity had come haters, and he had agreed with her offer to make sure he wouldn’t have to read about them.

They arrived at the entrance of the set, but this time, the security guy let them pass without a question.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Liam asked, as the car slowed in front of the trailers.

Mason took a few seconds to react, before he turned to face Liam.

“Corey doesn’t shoot a lot so I think we could hang out with him? Also we could spend time in the common room, with the other actors.”

“Sounds good.” Liam said, before opening the door. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

* * *

Liam spent most of his days in Corey’s trailer, talking to whoever came in, and enjoying himself. The other actors were nice, and friendly. Scott was a goofball, always excited by the subject they were talking about, and asking Liam questions about his own life. If it had felt weird, in the beginning, talking to one of the people he looked up to, Liam was slowly starting to feel more easy with him.

Lydia didn’t talk much, but she was always listening to the conversation, even when she appeared to be reading her book. She would occasionally comment on something, her eyes still on the page. Liam was not sure she actually liked him, but she didn’t attack him, not like she did with one of the director’s assistants.

Liam was having a good day, until Corey came back from one of the scenes, and sighed.

“God, Theo is a pain in the ass.”

Lydia turned to face him, but Malia entered the trailer, and walked straight to Liam.

“Why aren’t you following Theo on Instagram?”

“What?”

He looked at the girl, still wearing her skin-tight suit. The words didn’t seem to make sense to him, but she seemed almost pissed.

“Pretty boy, why did you follow all of us and not Theo?”

Liam swallowed. “I… I didn’t think…”

“Are you still salty about your girlfriend? I thought you said she was not…”

“No! No, I’m not… Why would I follow him?”

Corey grimaced. “Well, you followed everyone you met yesterday. Except him.”

Liam opened his mouth, ready to explain that his first meeting with Theo didn’t really go well, but then, he remembered how softer he had seemed when Liam had sang. 

“Shit.” He said, in a half-voice. “Yeah, my mistake. I’m gonna follow him.”

“Good.” Malia said, before taking her seat. 

* * *

Theo sent Liam a DM a few minutes after he had clicked on the blue button. Liam looked around him, making sure no one could see it, before opening.

_ My heart was so full of sorrow. How dare you? -TheTheoRae _

_ Calm your horses. I did follow you. -LiamDunbar _

_ After a whole day, Charming. What made you change your mind? Was it my face? Or maybe my smile? -TheTheoRae _

_ Malia. -LiamDunbar _

_ Ah. Yes. That works too. -TheTheoRae _

_ If I wasn’t already following you, I would have waited.. You would be getting the cold shoulder. -TheTheoRae _

_ Okay? -LiamDunbar _

_ You were the one who insisted on having me follow you. I didn’t ask for any of this. -LiamDunbar _

_ Ouch. Okay. Whatever you say, Disney. You know you liked one of my pictures yesterday, right? -TheTheoRae _

Liam’s face became warm, and he hurried to check his account, and the last posts he liked. He spent long seconds making sure there was nothing from Theo’s account.

_ You freaking liar! -LiamDunbar _

_ According to the time you took to answer, you had a doubt. So… You checked my account yesterday, am I right? Did you like what you saw? -TheTheoRae _

_ What the fuck dude? -LiamDunbar _

_ Geez, I checked your insta too. Do you ever take pictures for fun? -TheTheoRae _

_ Why do you care? -LiamDunbar _

_ Okay, okay. Jeez. You are way less nice than your public persona. -TheTheoRae _

_ I don’t especially like you. I don’t know you. I have no reason to be nice to you. -LiamDunbar _

_ I’m almost surprised you are so honest about it. -TheTheoRae _

_ Alright, I won’t bother you any longer. -TheTheoRae _

_ Cool -LiamDunbar _

* * *

Theo stayed true to his word, until they were both in the same room, Liam chatting with Jackson, an actor who had a small role in the movie. He felt his phone buzz, and he checked it by reflex.

_ Look at those dorks. -TheTheoRae _

Liam opened the pictures, and had to refrain from smiling. In the first one, Mason was looking at Corey, clearly entranced, as the actor was speaking to one of the assistants. In the second one, Corey was listening to Mason, his head leaning on the side, clearly giving him all his attention. The pictures were cute, if he was honest, and he saved them on his phone. He looked behind him, but Theo was still sitting in a chair, looking at his own phone. Okay, maybe they didn’t have to talk about it. Still, Liam found himself trying to type a message.

_ Do you often take pictures of people around you? -LiamDunbar _ _   
_ _ It’s creepy. -LiamDunbar _

_ I don’t. -TheTheoRae _ _   
_ _ I just need pictures I can show everyone once they get married. -TheTheoRae _

_ Seriously? Isn’t that a bit early to discuss marriage? -LiamDunbar _

_ Look at them. -TheTheoRae _

_ They are the reason love songs exist. -TheTheoRae _

And yes, Mason and Corey looked cute, all over each other. Liam promised himself to mock his best friend endlessly on the road back. 

_ That’s super sappy. -LiamDunbar _

_ What? Are you saying *I* am sappy?? -TheTheoRae _

_ How dare you? -TheTheoRae _

_ You said the thing about love songs. -LiamDunbar _

_ Yeah, well, it’s the truth. But I can tell you that if there is something I’m not, it’s a romantic. -TheTheoRae _

_ Same. -LiamDunbar _

Theo didn't talk to him, or to anyone. But before he left the trailer, a few hours later, he offered a small piece of paper to Liam.

“If you ever want to text me pictures of Mason pinning. I’ll need them for the wedding.”

Theo’s number burnt Liam’s fingers, as he left the room without looking behind his shoulder.

* * *

Liam looked at his phone, scrolling through his contacts. He stopped at his newest addition. “ _ Theo _ ”. Why would he ever need Theo’s number? Sure, the guy could send him candids of Corey, but it would probably make Mason happy, not Liam. And they could have exchanged said pictures by DM. There was absolutely no point in giving his number to Liam.

Still, it felt kind of exciting, having Theo’s number. Because Theo stood for everything Liam was not. Because Theo was part of the situation everyone at Disney wanted people to forget.

Because Theo was clearly something else. 

And Liam ? Liam wanted nothing more than to escape the current flow of his life. No matter the consequences. Just like a fly attracted by honey, he couldn’t resist the pull. Before changing his mind, he sent a quick “ _ It’s Liam. Here’s my number _ ”. 

He wondered, for a second, what Erica would think of this. But before he had time to really analyze the situation, he received a  _ “:) _ ” back.

Okay. Nothing had changed. He could just forget about Theo and his obnoxious smile now.

  
  



	3. The Months

The first text came less than a day after they exchanged their numbers. Theo sent him a picture of Corey, in his X-Men suit, smiling at his phone.

_He is so whipped -Theo_

Liam couldn’t help but smile. He checked his gallery, and selected a picture he had taken of Mason, the days before, trying to get the perfect angle for the selfie he was about to send to Corey.

_He isn’t the only one. -Liam_

He didn’t have time to pocket his phone, before Theo answered.

_Do you think they are going to last? -Theo_

He frowned, and bit his lips.

_Why wouldn’t they? -Liam_

_Distance. Different lives. -Theo_

_I think when two people really care about each other, distance and life can’t break them. -Liam_

_That’s sweet. -Theo_

And that was it. After this first exchange, Liam got used to seeing Theo’s name on his screen. Most of the time, Theo would send him pictures of the cast, and Liam answered with witty comebacks or puns. It was easy, in a way that he wasn’t used to. Liam wasn’t trying to get Theo to like him, so there was no pressure in their exchanges. 

And then, one day, Theo sent him the link to an article about Lydia and himself. 

* * *

**Theo Raeken and Lydia Martin share their new friendship with their fans!**

Even though we knew both actors were casted for ‘ _X-Men: Tomorrow Awaits’,_ we didn’t expect Lydia and Theo to become good friends, and so quickly! The actress shared pictures of them in a photobooth, having fun on her Instagram yesterday, to which Theo replied with a yellow heart.

After a difficult year for Theo Raeken, it seems like his experience on the set of X-Men is going well. First, we had news of him being seen with Liam Dunbar, and co-star Scott McCall, and now he seems to be hanging with the rest of the cast. There are still no confirmations about the fact that Lydia Martin may be playing Jean Grey, which would mean another timeline in the X-Men universe, but if it’s the case, we wouldn’t be sad at the idea that Theo could be her Scott. Look at them! It’s clear the chemistry is here, and we’re even wondering if said chemistry isn’t going on between the scenes… Was Theo’s yellow heart a hidden message? Only the future will tell. 

* * *

**Tumblr : @knitsandknittingmittens**

If you’ve read my previous posts (here and here), you know that I firmly believe Lydia is playing Jean Grey. But if they’re keeping the secret on who’s who, it might mean that this timeline is entirely different. I talked (here) about how I think they could play around Wolverine, and having her with him to see how the events would change. Could Theo be playing young Wolverine? It’s not like Hugh Jackman was going to take the role back ahaha. Or it could be Scott McCall playing Wolverine. I don’t know, but I think there’s something there.

**Tumblr : @screamingmyheartin**

Lol four pictures of them and everyone is already shipping. Maybe people should take a breath and stop picturing actors together. Jeez, calm down.

**Tumblr : @isthisreallifeoristhisshipperlife**

I still think Theo Raeken looks ugly. There is something about him, I don’t know if it’s his face or his aura, but I don't like it. Also he has the most annoying fans in the world. The guy went to rehab and they are still like “omg he is so pure”. No one is holding him accountable. #SorryNotSorry

**Tumblr : @iaminlovewiththeoandiwontletitdie**

Theo Raeken is so pure. #ForReal #HisSmileGuys #LydiaMartinIsSoLucky

* * *

Liam read it quickly, before answering “ _You could have told me you had found a new girlfriend! -Liam”_

As always, Theo was quick to answer.

_Ahahah. So funny. It’s incredible how everytime I’m seen with a girl, people immediately jump to conclusions. -Theo_

_So you are not with Lydia? Damn it. My OTP :( -Liam_

_Sorry to break your dreams. - Theo_ _  
  
_

_I’ll live. -Liam_

* * *

Theo probably had a lot of time on set, because he seemed to find things to send to Liam every single day. Memes, pictures, or just articles. And for someone who spent most of his days home, alone, it was a good deal. Liam still texted Mason a lot, but Theo seemed to be available at any hour, and the novelty of him was entertaining.

_Please find attached a RARE picture of Lydia happy. -Theo_

Liam opened the file, to discover the girl with an almost smile. He had never seen her like this outside of the promotional pictures.

_What did you do to get her to smile ?? Did you have to sell an organ ? -Liam_

_Nope. Her last tweet has been retweeted by Adam Levine, and she is apparently a fan ? -Theo_

_Who could have known ? I was starting to think she loved listening to hardcore metal. -Liam_

_She likes your covers. -Theo_

_What ? How do you know that ? -Liam_

_We talked about it ? -Theo_

_You talked about me ? -Liam_

_Yeah, we don’t really have a lot in common, and after a few weeks, the small talk expires. -Theo_

_Oh, okay, makes sense. -Liam_

_Wait does that mean you watched my covers too ? -Liam_

_Have to go. Byyyyyyyye. -Theo_

* * *

_Do you have love scenes in the movie ? -Liam_

_Hi to you too. Can I ask why you suddenly wonder about this at four in the morning ? -Theo_

_It’s only one here. -Liam_ _  
_ _Answer the question ? -Liam_

_I might ? -Theo_

_That’s not an answer. -Liam_

_I can’t give away the plot ! -Theo_

_So that’s a yes, right ?-Liam_

_No. -Theo_

_So it’s a no ? -Liam_

_No ! -Theo_

_You are not very cooperative :( -Liam_

_Why do you even ask ? -Theo_

_I am trying to imagine you shooting a love scene with Lydia. It’s really funny in my mind. -Liam_

_Seriously ? -Theo_ _  
_ _Do I look good ? -Theo_

_Of course you look good. Stop fishing for compliments. -Liam_

_I’ll take it. -Theo_

_And why Lydia ? Why not Malia ? -Theo_

_Oh god. I would be afraid for your dick with Malia. -Liam_

_… Fair enough. -Theo_

* * *

_If I die from exposure, please give my remains to science. -Theo_

_Lol. like they would want any part of you. -Liam_

_That’s mean. -Theo_

_The truth hurts. -Liam_

* * *

The first call came one night, as Liam was watching a crime tv show, half asleep on his sofa. He didn’t even check the caller, before selecting the green button. Which is why he was so surprised when Theo’s face appeared.

“Shit.” He said, trying to sit straight, and ordering his hair around. “You don’t facetime people without a warning Theo !”

On the other side, the actor looked great, probably coming from set, and he smiled at Liam trying to look presentable.

“It’s fine, Charming. I knew you couldn't look that good naturally.”

“I’ll let you know I do look good ! I’ve been voted Best Looking Actor on Disney Channel three years in a row !”

There was a silence, before Theo laughed, and Liam had to laugh too. “Okay, I know, it’s not that impressive…”

“It is impressive. And yeah, you look okay for a guy playing teenagers.”

“How old is your character in this movie ?”

“Older than yours.”

Liam sighed, before grabbing his can of lemonade. “Okay, so, why are you calling ?”

“So, Corey’s publicist was on set today, and it was incredible. Let me start by telling you…”

Liam listened to the soothing voice, on the other side. He laughed with Theo, as he was reenacting the scenes. He didn’t care about the way his t-shirt was teared, or the way he just slouched on the sofa. Theo didn’t seem to mind. And hearing about another kind of life, on the other side of the country, felt nice. 

Liam didn’t really see the signs. Later on, he would probably talk about this first call like the tip of the iceberg, the small thing that did change everything. But it was, obviously, too early for him to notice.

* * *

There is something to be said about patterns. The human mind is good at deciphering them, and even better at adopting them. So, when Theo started texting everyday, Liam got used to it. And when he started sharing funny posts, Liam did the same. It was easy, and comfortable. When Theo decided that he liked facetiming more than texting, Liam didn’t question it. He found himself smiling when Theo’s name appeared on his phone. 

Often, they didn’t have a lot to talk about. Liam’s days were pretty repetitive, and Theo couldn’t say anything about the scenes he was shooting. Still, hearing Theo’s voice became one of the few things Liam was looking up to. Because, for the time of their call, he didn’t have to worry about anything, or to think about the future. Their way of calling each other out, and pretending not to care, the weird insults they would throw at each other, and the laughs that did resonate were gradually becoming part of Liam’s routine. 

And when, sometimes, Theo didn’t text first, Liam found himself looking at the screen, and wondering about what he could send. He started looking at blogs, and websites, trying to find something to send, and hoping it would start a conversation. It usually did. 

* * *

_link : the new X-men boys shirtless ! -Liam_

_Oh my god. -Theo_

_Did you read the comments ? -Liam_ _  
Some people are really, really thirsty. -Liam _

_No, I can’t read that, I’ll have nightmares for days !! -Theo  
Also didn’t know Scott had a tattoo there. -Theo _

_I’m pretty sure no one was supposed to know. -Liam_

_So that’s what you are up to ? Looking for articles of cute boys shirtless ? -Theo_

_I tried looking for the girls, but had no luck :( -Liam_

_Sure, Jan. -Theo_

* * *

**@LiamDunbar**

_All the right moves - 4:02_

_Do you think I'm special?_

_Do you think I'm nice, am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?_

_Between the noise you hear, and the sound you like,_

_Are we just sinking in a ocean of faces?_

* * *

_How do you choose the songs for your covers ? -Theo_

_It depends. it can be songs I really like, or just describe my mood. -Liam_

_Okay. Liked the last one. -Theo_

_Thanks ! -Liam_

* * *

Liam sighed happily as he wiped Mason’s character out of the screen.

“Fuck !” His best friend said, before laughing. “You are way too good at that !”

“I’ve been training for weeks. Want a rematch ?”

Mason grabbed his bottle of water, and took a sip. “Yeah, in a minute.”

Liam allowed himself to fall into the cushions, enjoying himself. Mason had been away for almost a week, and it was great to have him again. He was even staying for the night, which was always nice, as Liam hated waking up alone in the cold flat.

“Did you find ways to keep busy ?”

Liam nodded. “Yeah, it’s been alright.” 

“Any news ?”

“Nope.” He looked at the TV. “What about Corey ?”

“Oh.” Mason's face seemed to lighten. “Well, we’ve been texting. A lot. And calling. He is really nice.”

Liam grinned. “Yeah, very nice indeed.”

“Come on. It’s all new and fun. Let me have this.”

“I’m happy for you Mase. Are you planning another roadtrip soon ?”

“Well, in fact, a part of the cast is coming to the desert to shoot some scenes next Saturday ? It’s two hours from here. I thought I could visit.”

Liam’s mind seemed to focus on the first part of the sentence. “Part of the cast ?”

“Yeah, Corey, Lydia, Malia and Theo for sure. I don’t know about Scott though.”

“Cool. Cool, cool, cool.”

“What’s going on ?” Mason asked, suddenly interested. “Liam, is there something you are not telling me ? Oh god. You don’t like Corey, is that it ?”

“What ? No ! I like the guy ! He seems nice, and he clearly makes you happy. He seems good.”

“So ?”

“Nothing, Mase. It’s just a good thing he is coming so close, right ?”

“Yeah. I don’t really feel like telling him about my little problem yet.”

Liam tried to hide his smile, but Mason bumped his arm. “It’s not funny !”

“I know, I know. Just kind of cute that you worry about what he might think.

“I will tell him. At one point.”

“Sure.”

“Oh. Why don’t you come ? Maybe it could help you ? Leaving town, and being around other people ?”

Liam opened his mouth, ready to say no, before a warm feeling started in his stomach. Yes, it did sound good, and it was not like he didn’t know the cast anymore. Especially Theo.

“I don’t know, Mase. Maybe ? I’ll have to check with…”

“Erica will say no. What did you say in Toronto again ? Oh, yeah, easier to say sorry than please.”

And honestly ? Liam agreed with him.

  
  


* * *

“So…” Theo said, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. “Are you coming with Mason ?”

Liam yawned, his head still on the pillow. “Mason ?”

Theo laughed, and his eyes seemed even greener, a clear stubble on his cheeks, still sleepy. “Your best friend ? Mason ? He is coming on the temporary set this weekend. I just wondered if you were coming too.”

“He is going to see Corey.” Liam said, but he still felt a pang of interest as Theo was asking questions. Knowing that he wasn’t the only one wondering about things was interesting. “I don’t have a Corey.” 

“True. But you have a Theo ?”

And Liam’s heart shouldn’t have stopped like that. The insinuation shouldn’t have made him warm, and excited. Because Theo was a friend, and Liam didn’t plan on making him anything more. Still, he couldn’t help but smile.

“You know, if I want to see an asshole, I can just cross the street, right ?”

“So Charming. Alright, keep your secrets.” Theo didn’t seem too sad, but there was still something on his face, a discomfort, that Liam didn’t like. When had he started to care about these things ?

“I just don’t know.” He said, honestly, holding his head with one of his hands. “It’s complicated. I can’t really leave town and…”

“Hey, it’s alright, you don’t have to find excuses.”

“It’s not excuses !”

“Sure.”

“Theo.” He said, his voice stronger. “I am not making up excuses. I’d like to come.”

“Really ?”

“Really.”

The smile on Theo’s face was worth having to say what he had on his mind.

* * *

_Just come and get me at 10. -Liam_

* * *

_So … A little bird told me you were coming. -Theo_

_Yep. Despite my best instincts, it seems that I can’t resist the pull. -Liam_

_I do have that effect on people. -Theo_

_Yeah, no, I was thinking about Malia in that suit. -Liam_

_Liar. -Theo_

_So, anything happened at all this week ? -Theo_

_No ? And you know about it. We called each other everyday. -Liam_

_Just checking. -Theo_

_But if nothing happened, what are you going to sing about ? :O -Theo_

_I don’t know. -Liam_

_Maybe your weekend will be interesting. -Theo_

_Maybe. -Liam_

_Are you going to sing about me ? -Theo_

_I don’t know a song awful enough for that. -Liam_

_Harsh :( -Theo_

_But who knows ? Maybe inspiration will struck me when I am in the middle of the desert ? -Liam_

_I’m going to make sure you get something to sing about. -Theo_

* * *

Liam entered the car swiftly, and motioned for Mason to drive. He kept his sunglasses on, and hid himself behind his arm, until they had left the city. Then, and only then, he opened his window, and sighed. 

The music was low, and Mason hadn’t spoken since he had stopped behind the hotel, gesturing for Liam to come in. It was unusual, or at least, his face was. He looked guarded, which was not exactly how Liam had pictured him when they had talked about driving to Corey’s location.

“Everything alright?” He asked, and Mason looked at him quickly, before biting his lips. 

“I think so. I… I hope so.”

“Something wrong with Corey?” Liam wondered, but Mason faced him quickly. “No, nothing with Corey.” He looked at the road again, seemingly looking for his words. “You’re my best friend Liam. You know that.”

“Yeah?”

“And I’m your best friend, right?”

“Sure.” Liam agreed, looking at the road.

“You know you can tell me anything.”

That, right there, was the beginning of problems. Because as much as Liam loved Mason, he hadn’t exactly kept him in the loop these last few days. But how could Mason…

“Oh. Corey.” Liam sighed. 

“Yes, Corey. He had some very interesting things to tell me.” Mason explained, driving a little faster now that they were on the highway. “And it’s not like I expect you to tell me everything Liam, you have every right to have your secrets, and your friends, but after all the time we spent talking about Hayden, and what happened, I just thought…”

“You thought I would tell you I have been texting Theo.”

“Yeah.” Mason breathed out. “Yeah, I thought you would tell me.” 

“It wasn’t… It isn’t a _thing._ ” Liam tried to explain, but he didn’t want to lie, and it was hard to find a way to describe his relationship with Theo. “We just text. Sometimes.”

Mason’s eyes left the road for a second, but it was enough for him to make his mind. “Don’t you dare lie to me, Liam Eugene Dunbar.”

“I’m not…”

“If you don’t want to tell me things, then just say so. But please, do not become one of those people who just say what I want to hear. I know you are better than that.”

It was hard to remember, sometimes, how much battles Mason had had to face. And was still facing. How the whole fashion world was full of bright smiles and empty promises. That was the reason why they had become such good friends. Mason loved Liam’s honesty, and Liam loved Mason’s earnestness. They shared the same values, and for as long as he could remember, they had been there for each other.

Breaking this trust over Theo wasn’t how Liam wanted their friendship to go.

He cut the music off, and looked at Mason, swallowing. “I’m sorry.” 

Mason’s hands were shaking against the wheel, and Liam wondered how much strength it had taken him to even talk about this. To acknowledge that there was something unsaid between them. 

“Mase, I’m so sorry.” He reached to Mason’s arm, squeezing it gently. “I don’t know… I don’t know why I didn’t… You’re right, I should have told you.”

He hoped it would be enough to satisfy his best friend. To some people, it probably wouldn’t be the case, but he was lucky enough it was Mason freaking Hewitt, and the guy sighed. “Okay.”

Liam felt better, and looked at the road, trying to find a way to explain everything that had been in his mind the last few days. “Just give me a second.” He said, remembering the first time he had met Theo, the DMs, and then the texts. Oh, the Facetime call. “Okay. So…” He wondered how someone who considered Theo a friend would explain this. Why was he even asking himself the question? What was Theo to him? “Oh god.”

Mason looked at him, suddenly worried. “Liam, breathe…”

“I’m just…”

“Having a revelation?”

“Kinda.”

Mason laughed, and Liam closed his eyes, trying to pull himself together. “Okay, so… Theo.”

“Yes, Theo.”

“We’ve texted each other.”

“Okay.”

“And like, we facetimed.”

“Okay?”

“A few times.”

“Hm.”

“And it’s okay? I mean, I thought I would hate the guy, and I kinda hated him at first, but he is funny, and pretty nice actually.”

“You like him.”

“He makes it really hard not to.” Liam breathed out. “Also, he kept sending me pictures of Corey looking at your messages, and I think I’m not the only one…”

“We are not talking about Corey and I right now.” Mason cut him. “Not that I wouldn’t like that, but it’s not the subject. I just want to understand what is happening with you.”

“With me?”

“You have been super weird, Liam.”

“I have?”

Mason tried to hide his laugh. “Yeah. I mean, not weird. Better, actually.” He used his blinker, and then continued. “When we went to Toronto… Man, you were bad. Sad and angry. Always trying to avoid some subjects, and then ranting about them. You kept asking yourself if Disney was going to call, and you were obsessed with Erica’s texts. And then, these last few weeks… You were cooler. Like you didn’t care as much. You didn’t even ask me about Hayden once. But you kept asking about Corey, and the cast.”

“Yeah.”

“And I just figured, something must have changed, and I was glad for you, but then I learnt that you had been in touch with Theo, and I wondered… Why? Cause, you know, he was part of the whole thing, and you were kinda afraid to be seen with him, and now you talk to him? And you don’t even tell me? We are talking about this whole thing, going to see them, and you don’t mention you’ve been texting him? And I asked myself why, and I wondered what you were trying to hide.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide…”

“Yeah, not to me.”

Liam sighed again, and ran a hand in his hair. “Okay, maybe I was trying to hide it. But only because I didn’t know how you would react.”

“And how did you expect me to react to this, Li? I am glad you are making friends. I’m happy you are thinking about something else than this whole breakdown. And you knew I wouldn’t tell you not to. Didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I knew. But then…”

“Then what?”

“Then I didn’t know what I was doing!” Liam explained, his voice a little too high. “I was just… Texting Theo, and then we were texting everyday and I didn’t know why and…”

“Why are you freaking out?”

“Because! Because this isn’t… This isn’t normal Mason.”

“Texting people?” Mason looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “What isn’t normal with texting people?”

“I’m not just… You know.”

“No, I don’t know Liam.”

“Well, I kinda like him.” Liam said, his voice low again.

“Yeah, that’s… Oh.” Mason stopped, suddenly studying Liam’s face. “Oh?”

“Please don’t…” Liam closed his eyes, and he tried to breathe normally, but the simple fact that it was the first time he allowed himself to say those things out loud was panicking enough. He felt the car slow down, until it stopped on the side of the road.

“Hey. Hey.” Mason whispered, his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “It’s okay Liam.”

“I don’t… I’ve never…”

“Okay, breathe. It’s not… It’s okay.”

Liam swallowed again, and kept his eyes closed. “I didn’t want to think about this.”

He heard Mason’s laugh, warm and friendly. “And you thought seeing the guy was the right way to ignore whatever you are feeling?”

“I don’t even know what I feel.” Liam whispered.

“Okay. That’s not a problem. No one is expecting you to know anything.”

“What if he does, though? What if he thinks…”

“Have you talked to him about it?”

“No. Not really. But he said he was happy I was coming, and then he… Oh god. We flirted? I think?”

“You think?”

“He asked me if my next cover was going to be about him. Cause I’ve told him I chose the songs depending on what’s happening to me. And I told him I didn’t know, that it would depend on what was going to happen and he said…”

“What did he say?”

“That he was going to make sure I had something to sing about.”

A silence answered Liam, and he finally opened his eyes. Mason’s face was unreadable, but his eyes were full of questions.

“I don’t even know why I am flirting with him. I don’t… I’ve never…”

“What’s the issue? The fact that he is a guy?” Mason asked, his voice softer. “Is this the problem here Li?”

Liam didn’t answer, but he nodded curtly.

“Okay. So you think you like the guy. It’s okay, it happens.”

“I know it happens! I know sexuality isn’t a black and white thing.”

“Sure. So what if you are not all white?”

“I don’t know Mase.”

“Did you never… You know, look at a guy? Or find a guy nice looking?”

“I mean… Yeah. But I figured, everyone knows a good looking person when they see one.”

“And you’ve never felt more?”

“I don’t think so. I never thought about it before.”

“Before Theo?”

“Why him?” Liam asked in a small voice. “Seriously, out of all the people in the world, why him?”

“The place? The time? The person?”

Liam thought about it for a little while, as cars were passing them by. He had met Theo at the exact time his life was going nowhere. And then, Theo had wormed his way into his life, one message at a time. 

He faced Mason, brows furrowed. “Do you think… Do you think there is a chance I’m having a kind of obsession with him?”

“An obsession?”

“Yeah. You know, you said, the time, the place. When I met him…”

“You were really lost.”

“I had nothing left.”

“You are kind of dramatic about this.”

“You know what I mean.”

“So… You think… You got into Theo like you could have gotten into a new hobby?” Mason asked, and Liam couldn’t help but wonder if it could be the case. After all, everything could support that theory. The feelings he had might just be born out of boredom, and the whole flirting thing could be a way for him to escape his reality.

“I don’t know Mase. Don’t you think it’s possible?”

Mason sat back in his chair, and looked at the road for a few seconds. “I don’t know Li. Is it possible? Yeah. But like… You know Theo hasn’t had exactly a very good year, right?”

“Yeah. I saw things. And we kind of talked.”

“He has lost his sister, had judicial problems, and they even say he went to rehab.”

“We don’t know about that.” Liam stated.

“Yeah, well, you know. If he really is into this, and you are only having a moment..” Mason said, slowly, and Liam looked at the road, the truth of his best friend's words suddenly hitting him.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. That would be a pretty shitty thing to do to him.”

Liam didn’t answer. He looked at Theo’s last text, and blinked a few times. 

* * *

They arrived in the middle of the afternoon, and thankfully, the security team knew they were coming. The shooting was taking place out of the city, in the middle of nowhere, and there were a few green walls built in the desert. It was impressive, looking at them, and figuring that in the movie, a million things could be happening there. Liam took a quick picture, before pocketing his phone, and following Mason.

“Corey said first on the right, and then second on the left.”

All the trailers looked the same, new and shiny, set on the red sand. People were walking between them, talking in their talkies, or carrying things. Liam had to take a step back to let someone pass him with what looked like a very heavy bundler.

“Liam, here!”

He jogged to get to Mason, but before they could arrive, one of the trailer’s doors opened wide, and he turned to face the culprit.

In front of him, at the top at the plastic stairs stood Theo, his hair wild, and his X-Men suit on. Liam had to do a double-take, because he had never seen Theo in the suit before, and it didn’t leave anything to the imagination. Well, now it was clear that thanks to his instagramed session at the gym, Theo had the body of a model. A very muscled model.

“Liam.” He said, with a small smile, and Liam couldn’t help but smile back. His voice was different from the phone, and it reminded him of their first discussion. Except this time, Theo wasn’t mocking him, and he looked, in fact, quite happy to see the other actor.

“Hey.” Liam breathed out, as Mason walked back on his steps to grab his arm.

“Liam, it’s…” Mason stopped when he saw Theo. He let go of Liam’s arm, and laughed. “Okay, alright. Got it. Will tell Corey you’ve been… delayed. Nice suit Theo!”

“Thanks Mason!” The actor said, before gesturing for Liam to come in his trailer. “I have a few minutes before shooting.”

Liam didn’t say anything, and tried not to look below Theo’s spine as he walked up the stairs. Inside, most of the room was taken by a big sofa, but there was also a small kitchen, a makeup booth, and a shower.

“It’s nice.” Liam commented, as Theo sat on the sofa. “How long are you shooting here?”

“Just a few days. We have a hotel in town.”

“Cool.”

He looked around a bit more, before sitting on the sofa, leaving some room between them. Then, and only then, did he face Theo. Theo, who looked a bit tired, but still way too good. 

“You know I’m not going to eat you, right?” The other actor finally said, his tone amused, but his face a bit reserved.

“Yeah. I know.” Liam breathed out. “I’m just… I don’t know.”

“It was easier on the phone?” 

“Kinda.”

“You know, if you don’t want to…”

“I…”

“Seriously. I get it. You don’t owe me…”

“Theo!” Liam finally succeeded in calling. He looked at Theo’s eyes, who were now full of hesitations. And not his, Liam’s. “I’m… I’m glad I’m here. With you.”

He couldn’t be sure Theo believed him. There was still something in the air, that felt like they were so close to taking the leap, but the both of them chose not to. Thankfully, Theo allowed himself to smile. “Good. I’m happy you are here too. I do have this scene to shoot, but it shouldn’t take more than half an hour, an hour at most. And then, maybe we could go walk a bit? This place is super close to a trail where there is literally nobody, so we can just… It’s still considered ‘shooting ground’, so security takes care of the borders, but at least we’ll have some privacy.”

“I’d like that.” Liam smiled. “I’ll wait for you in Corey’s trailer, alright?”

“Knock before going in.” Theo advised with a smile. “I feel like these two are very happy to see each other.”

* * *

Corey welcomed Liam with his usual smile and he offered him a coffee. The conversation was easy, Corey explaining everything that had happened on set today, and Liam didn’t have to react more than smiling and laughing at the right time.

He caught himself looking at the clock more than once, and he was pretty sure Mason had seen him too. Liam thanked his best friend when he didn’t say anything, and he took a quick picture when Corey sat so close that Mason had to close his arms around him to keep him straight. Theo would love that one.

Two hours passed, and Liam had started thinking Theo wasn’t going to come, when someone finally knocked at the door. He jumped from his chair, and ignored Mason’s laugh. 

“Yeah?” Corey called, and the door opened to let Theo appear, in a pair of jeans and a dark t-shirt. “Hey. I promised Liam I would show him the trail.”

Corey was nice enough not to comment, and Liam said ‘bye’ quickly, following Theo under the harsh sun. The X-Men actor turned to face him, apologetic. 

“I’m so sorry, we had to move twice because of the sun, and then we had to reshoot because Lydia’s hair kept changing too much, and…”

“It’s okay! I was with the lovebirds. Didn’t see time passing by.” Liam interrupted, smiling at Theo. “So, where?”

“It’s right behind this trailer.” He motioned. “I wanted to change too, because… You know.”

“Yeah, these suits can’t be comfortable.” 

“They are like a second skin, and not in a good way.”

They walked a bit, in silence, before the path took them away from all the trailers and the people. It was quiet here, and Liam looked at the landscape. 

“It’s beautiful.”

He didn’t see Theo’s eyes on his face.

“It really is.” 

* * *

  
  


“So… What do you like to do?”

“Hm?” Liam’s thoughts were interrupted by Theo’s voice. He looked at the guy, and tried to remember what they had been talking about. The actor smiled, shaking his head.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“You’d need a pretty big dollar bill.” Liam answered, and he felt his heart beating faster when Theo laughed. “Fair enough. I was just asking what you liked to do. You know… When you’re free?”

Liam opened his mouth, but then closed it. He had almost delivered to Theo the exact same words he had been fed for years. The things he had been trained to say. How he liked sport, but didn’t cheer for any particular team - which was an absolute lie -, video games - even if he didn’t have time for them -, and singing. 

Singing.

“I play the guitar,” he said, suddenly shy. It felt weird, having to find his own answers to the questions, and being honest.

“I know,” Theo said, still walking next to him. “I’ve listened to some of your covers.”

“I… I kind of write songs too. I mean, I compose and I write. It’s not very good but…”

“I’d love to hear those songs,” Theo interrupted, a small smile on his face. Liam felt himself deflate. 

“Some of them are terrible. I wouldn’t know what to make you listen to.”

Theo looked at the sky for a while, as Liam was trying to remember _things_ about himself. He couldn’t pinpoint the last time someone actually got interested enough in him to wonder about what he liked. And he couldn’t remember the last time he actually thought about how he felt before answering.

“I like… Really old movies. Phantom of the Opera. The Rocky Horror Show.”

“You’re such a theater geek,” Theo said, almost fondly. “Didn’t you do a cover of Sweet Transvestite last Halloween?”

Liam frowned, but he kept on walking. “How do you know that?”

Theo looked at him like he was oblivious, and when he talked, his voice was slow, like he was trying to help Liam understand something new. “We’re friends, Liam. I went through your profile. Don’t pretend you didn’t do it with mine.”

Liam couldn’t pretend, that was true. He remembered how he had chased the rabbit, reading Theo’s post, and then the articles. He wondered if Theo had done the same with him.

“Do you… Have you Googled me?” He asked, and Theo laughed again. “That’s not funny. It’s a genuine question.”

“Yeah, I know. The fact that it’s a genuine question is what makes it funny,” the older actor answered. “Yes, I Googled you Liam. I Google almost every person I meet. This is Hollywood, after all, and it’s fucking hard to remember who’s done what, or who’s dated who.”

“Or cheated on someone with another person,” Liam added, a smile at the corner of his lips. Theo shrugged. “There’s a whole paragraph about Haydengate on my Wikipedia page. Just between my problems with the police, and rumors about my suicide.”

He talked about it like it was normal. Like he had no shame about any of it. But Liam could see how his shoulders were suddenly tense, and how he wasn’t looking Liam in the eyes anymore.

“I think it was the worst moment of my life,” Liam admitted, remembering the texts, the mentions, the articles and the press coverage. 

To that, Theo looked quickly at him, before retreating in his thoughts. Still, he allowed himself an answer. “If you really think that’s bad, Liam, then you’ve been pretty lucky until now.”

Shoot. Liam might have the whole _speaking like a true Disney Channel Hero_ under his belt, but he was dumb enough to talk about having a hard time to a guy who had lost his sister almost live on national television. Without thinking about it, he grabbed Theo’s hand, and they both froze. They stood still for a few seconds, before Theo laced their fingers together.

“That was so not smooth.” Theo said, but he resumed walking, their hands now swinging to the rhythm of their steps. 

Liam tried to hide his flushed cheeks. “Shut up Raeken.”

“Make me, Dunbar.”

* * *

  
  


When they went back on their tracks, Theo seemed to hesitate at the last turn.

“Maybe we should…”

He was looking at their hands, and Liam felt himself blush.

“Yeah. You’re right.” 

He let go of Theo’s hand, but before he could start walking again, he felt himself being dragged against the canyon wall. He opened his mouth, but didn’t say anything, as Theo was now standing in front of him, a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“What…”

“It’s just… Once we go back there, it will be all eyes on us again. I just wanted to… Enjoy.” 

Liam nodded slowly, before looking around them. His heart was beating a little bit too fast, and he wasn’t sure of how he was supposed to act. His hesitation must have been easy to sense, because Theo took a step back.

“Okay. We can just go back. I’m sorry if I misread…”

“You didn’t.” Liam muttered, before closing his eyes. “God, I’m sorry. I’m really bad at this.”

Theo didn’t answer, but when Liam opened his eyes again, he was faced with hesitation. And it wasn’t a good look on Theo. It made him way too tense, which Liam decided he didn’t like. So, he offered his hand, and Theo looked at it, before taking it.

“So, holding hands is okay?”

“Yeah.” Liam answered. It felt natural, and even a little bit exciting. Or maybe it was the fact that they were truly alone, and Liam was the one calling the shots. 

“Holding hands is okay, and maybe… Closer?” Liam tried.

A small laugh escaped Theo’s mouth, as he came to lean on the wall, bringing his side against Liam’s. He didn’t do anything more, and Liam let himself melt in the contact.

“Yes, this is definitely okay.”

“Are we going to play hot and cold?” Theo wondered, but he sounded more amused than anything. 

“Shut up. I’m doing my best here.”

“I know.” Theo’s voice became a little bit less enthusiastic. “And I don’t want you to do anything you are not comfortable with, but you have to understand that I’m kind of lost here.” A sigh. “I don’t mind waiting for you, Liam. I just have to know there is something worth waiting for.”

And it was fair, in a way. Liam was not sure of anything, and Theo had already made so many steps towards him. He remembered his conversation with Mason. Was he attracted to Theo? How was he supposed to know if his feelings were the results of a real connection, and not him having fun?

He looked at Theo, whose shirt was a little too loose, like he was trying to hide inside, and then, at his face, which seemed already accepting the fact that Liam was not interested in whatever he had to offer. And it was a shame, because he really liked Theo. He really appreciated his humor, and the way he was, and his face, and the rest of him.

Maybe there was a way, after all.

Liam turned to face the actor, and took a deep breath. 

“Okay. I need to try something.”

But his sentence seemed to be received like a slap in the face by Theo, who took a step back, now closed and a little bit angry.

“I am not something for you to _try_ Liam!”

“I know, I know!” He said, but Theo was already putting space between them. “I’m sorry! That’s not…”

“Look, I get it, you are confused, and you don’t know what you want, but it’s kind of shitty from you to…”

“I know! This wasn’t… God, no. Theo, please. Listen to me. I didn’t want to try _you._ I know I like you. It’s me I’m trying here. If that makes sense.”

Theo didn’t answer right away. He seemed to think about it, and Liam waited, feeling kind of miserable. He had taken the wrong path towards what he wanted, and he didn’t want his relationship with Theo to suffer from it.

“Please, Theo.” He whispered, looking into his eyes. “I just want to be sure.”

The other actor sighed, and after a few seconds, nodded. “What do you want?”

“To kiss you?” And by saying the words, Liam understood it was the truth. He had wanted to kiss Theo since he had seen him earlier that day, and that feeling had only grown when they had found themselves so close against the wall. “I really want to.”

Theo didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes became darker, and flipped quickly on Liam’s lips. He crossed the space between them, and waited, closer to Liam than he had ever been. 

“So?” He whispered, and Liam nodded, before taking a long breath, and pressing his lips against Theo’s. It was quick, a closed-mouthed kiss that was more a brush of lips than anything else. And when Liam opened his eyes, a second after having closed them, the only thing he felt was his heart, beating way too fast in his chest. 

No special feeling, no intense reaction. He didn’t know if he felt better, or worse at the idea, but at least, he had his answers.

“Fuck you. That wasn’t a kiss.”

Theo didn’t wait for him to answer. He pushed Liam against the wall, and an instant later, his lips were crushing his, unrestrained and demanding. It took Liam a few seconds to react, but Theo wasn’t letting go, and when he opened his mouth, he was rewarded by a tongue caressing his. He felt Theo’s hands in his hair, and he felt himself grabbing whatever he could, to chase the feeling that was slowly dawning in his guts. 

His heart was beating fast, but there were way too many things happening at the same time to think about it. Theo’s body, pliant against his, moving at the rhythm of their mouths, and Theo’s skin against the tip of his fingers, burning and smooth. Liam kept his eyes closed, but he didn’t need his sight to understand that he was totally losing himself. He kissed back, a bit violent at first, but Theo bit his lip, bringing him to a softer rhythm. He had no idea how much time had passed, but when he felt the other guy slowly retreating, he chased his mouth, trying to taste it one last time, and he heard Theo giggle. 

There was a long silence, before Liam opened his eyes, and he looked at Theo, who was breathless, but whose face was now soft and satisfied. 

“That, that was a kiss.”

And Liam couldn’t deny it. 

* * *

It took Liam a few minutes to cool down, and not feel like his legs were going to give out. Then, and only then, did they walk back to Theo’s trailer. Liam tried not to look at anyone, worried that what he had just experienced could be seen on his face. He entered the trailer in silence, and waited for Theo to lock them in. 

The other actor was looking at him, probably trying to read on Liam’s face what exactly he was going through.

“Please tell me you are not freaking out.” Theo said, in a low voice, and Liam forced himself to smile. 

“No. Not freaking out.”

Theo took a few steps in his direction, and Liam let himself fall on the sofa. 

“Are you sure? Because you look like you are having a mental breakdown.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Liam answered, before taking a breath. “No, I’m not freaking out. I’m trying to make sense of all of this. This is kind of new information to me.”

“The fact that you like kissing guys?” Theo asked, his voice a little bit mocking, and Liam took one of the cushions, and threw it at him, missing by a few inches.

“Yeah. I knew I kinda liked you. But I didn’t really identify as anything.”

“You don’t have to. Seriously. You like girls? Cool. You like guys? Cool. You don’t need to put a label on it.”

“You like girls too, right?” Liam asked, remembering the Hayden scandal. He didn’t expect Theo to laugh.

“Me? No. I don’t like girls Liam. Not at all. I mean, they are nice, and some of them are cool, but I don’t feel like _kissing them._ ”

Liam frowned. “But with Hayden…”

“Look, Hayden was a mistake. On all accounts. I was… Having a hard time.” Theo sighed, before sitting on the sofa again. He leaned against one of the armrests, got rid of his shoes, and balanced his feet on Liam’s thighs. “So, the press was after me, and my publicist told me I really needed some good press. I agreed, even though I wasn’t in any state to make good decisions. She told me about this bar, where young actors and actresses went, and she told me to be seen with one of them. A girl. I drank all the liquid courage I could, and pretended this was a role. Hayden was nice, and she wasn’t super happy. We drank together, and she clearly liked me. So I told her we could leave and go somewhere more private.”

“So nothing happened?” Liam asked, as Theo was now looking at the ceiling of the trailer.

“No, nothing happened. I kissed her a few times for the cameras, and then I asked my driver to get her home. I had no idea who she was, maybe I should have if I weren’t so out of it. But in a way, it was a good thing. I mean, not for you… Or for her. But that was the last straw, and my publicist left me right after.” He sighed, before raising his head to look at Liam. “But shouldn’t you know that? I mean, the Hayden part? Wasn’t she your beard?”

“She wasn’t a beard! I didn’t even know… Look, I liked Hayden. A lot. At one point, there were real feelings between us. But then, time passed, and we weren’t the same people. But Disney had already ordered an ‘Augustus 2’, and then they ordered a third one, and people loved it because Hayden and I were together. So we decided not to talk about the break up. But… A lot of people knew.”

“Disney knew?”

“Yeah. I think they did.”

“How is she?” Theo seemed genuinely interested, and Liam blushed again, but not for the same reason.

“I have no idea. I’ve been ordered not to contact her. This whole thing looks bad for her, and now that I have reacted publicly…”

“Thanks again for that.”

“You’re welcome. Well, Disney doesn’t like any of us right now.”

“But you still have a contract, right?” Theo asked, sitting, his feet still on Liam’s thighs.

“It’s more complicated than that. I have a contract with Disney, but I have no ongoing contract for any project. It’s like… I’m still part of Disney, but they don’t want me anywhere right now.” It felt weird, having to explain all of this to someone who didn’t know. All of Liam’s entourage was aware of the different types of contract, and of how Disney worked. But explaining to Theo felt right. It was nice, having someone who was new to this.

“So… Do you get paid for waiting?” The actor asked.

“Kinda. I get a rent. It’s not much compared to what I could earn on a show or a movie, but it’s something.”

“It’s a weird system.”

“Yes, it is.”

Liam felt worn out after this whole day, and their discussion, which led to his mind being tempted to think about Hayden. So, he let his head fall against the sofa, and closed his eyes. He felt Theo move, but didn’t open his eyes, until there was hair tickling the inside of his arm. He blinked, and looked at Theo’s head, which was now resting against his stomach. 

“I’m kinda tired.” Theo explained, as Liam’s hand fell on his hair. It was soft, and Theo clearly appreciated Liam’s fingers combing through, as a small satisfied noise escaped him, and he closed his eyes. Liam felt a smile on his face, and he kept playing with Theo’s hair, taking his time to carve the memory of Theo’s relaxed face in his mind. 

It was way too easy, being with Theo like this.

* * *

There was a knock at the door a few minutes later, and both Theo and Liam jumped at the noise. The owner of the trailer went to the door, to unlock it, and Corey passed his head inside.

“Hi there! Mason is about to leave and he would like to know if you are planning on coming back with him?”

Liam nodded quickly and stood up. “Yeah, I’m coming. Tell him to wait a second?”

Corey looked at Theo with a smile, before closing the door shut. leaving the two of them alone.

“So.” Liam said, looking at his phone. “Yeah, we should definitely leave.”

“Do you want to stay?” Theo asked, in a small voice, and Liam’s eyes left his screen to check on him. He seemed hesitant but hopeful. How could people see this face, and not believe Theo was incredible?

“I wish I could.” He said, honestly. “But… Mason has that shooting, and I left town without warning anyone. It wouldn’t be the best idea.” Still, his mind tried to picture what he could have done, going back to Theo’s hotel. He felt his cheeks burn up, and couldn’t miss Theo’s smirk.

“So you’re leaving… But you would have stayed?”

“Shut up. And kiss me. Please?”

“Gladly.”

This time, there was no tension in the air, and no questions for Liam to answer. Still, he was struck by Theo’s proximity, and there was no time for thoughts as he launched himself at Theo’s lips, letting the feelings rage on in his body. Theo didn’t seem to care, kissing back with intensity, his hands slowly roaming in Liam’s hair, and around his biceps. If their first - second - kiss hadn’t convinced Liam, this one would have done the trick, because their lips sunk in a perfect fit, and heat was rising from every inch of his body. 

“Okay.” He whispered against Theo’s lips. “Okay, we need to stop that.”

But when Theo kissed him again, he cupped his jaw, and moaned into his mouth. Things were escalating, and Liam was very close from losing any tie to reality. He forced himself to take a step back, and found himself panting. Theo was the same, his cheeks red, and his breath labored.

“Okay, what was that?” Liam asked, his lips still tingling.

“Just something to remember me by.” Theo succeeded in saying in one go. “Just in case you start doubting again.”

And he was clearly successful, because there was no way Liam could forget about these two kisses. He swallowed, and looked at the door. “So, I have to leave.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see you… Soon?”

“Tell me where, and when.”

“I will.”

Liam had to fight his instinct, which was to claim Theo’s mouth one last time, as he left the trailer, keeping in mind the way Theo had looked, his cheeks flushed, trying to catch his breath, and mostly, the way his eyes had been so sure and open. 

He didn’t even notice Corey telling him goodbye.

* * *

Mason had the decency to wait for them to be on the highway before he took a good look at Liam.

“So… Did you have a good afternoon?”

Liam forced himself to look at the road, trying to ignore the beating of his heart.

“Yep.”

“How was the trail?”

“Hot but nice.”

“How was Theo?”

“... Hot and nice too.”

Mason laughed, a deep and friendly laugh, and Liam had no choice but to laugh too. It felt good, not hiding from Mason, and he wished he would have been honest with his best friend sooner.

“How was Corey?” He asked, because he had barely seen the guy who, after all, was kind of the reason why Liam had met Theo in the first place. Mason smiled, his voice suddenly a bit shy.

“He is great. Seriously Liam, I can’t see what is wrong with him.”

“Wrong?” 

“Well, you know, everyone has something wrong with them. Something that makes us human.”

“Like what?”

“Like your IED. And my inability to put an end to toxic relationships.”

Liam looked at Mason, shaking his head. “So… You can’t find what makes him human? The guy is too perfect? That’s your problem?”

“Yeah. He is nice, funny, smart, careful, he follows his heart… The more I learn about him, the more I am afraid of what he could be hiding.”

“It’s Corey freaking Bryant! If he had a dark past, or a terrible secret, I’m pretty sure the media would know about it.” 

Mason seemed to ponder the idea, before sighing. “Okay. So he is kinda perfect, and I like him a lot.”

“Are you two officials?”

Liam’s best friend bit his lips. “I think so? I mean, he called me his boyfriend so…”

“That’s amazing Mase. I’m so happy for you.”

And honestly, Liam was happy for him. Mason hadn’t had the best luck when it came to boyfriends, and he clearly deserved someone who would make him happy, and take care of him. The radio played another song, and Mason seemed to come back to reality.

“So Theo and you…”

Liam knew he would have to explain at some point, but most of the moments they had shared had felt so raw, so personal, that he couldn’t imagine describing them to Mason. So, instead, he nodded. “Theo and I.”

“You spent hours together.”

“Yep.”

“Liam, don’t make me fish for what happened.”

“Sorry. Hm. He is… I like him.”

“Did you find the answer to your questions?”

Liam nodded, before answering. “I think so. I mean, yeah, I’m definitely into him.”

“Oh. How did you come to that conclusion.”

“We kissed, Mason.”

Mason’s eyes left the road for a second. “You did?”

“Yeah. And it felt right.”

“So you like him physically?”

“It seems so. And I like him for other things too. Like talking.”

Mason didn’t react, at first. He lowered the radio, and checked the rearview mirror. 

“You know… You didn’t choose the easy road, right?”

And it was the truth. Because with each kilometer they were putting between the set and them, questions started flooding Liam’s head. First, was he bisexual? And then, did people suspect Theo to be gay? What would happen if anyone learnt about this? But also, how was he supposed to build a relationship with a guy he was not going to see for weeks?

He didn’t have the answers.

“Liam?” Mason asked again. “Earth to Liam?”

“Yeah, sorry. You were saying…”

“I just said that you are not taking the easy road here.”

Liam opened his mouth, ready to agree, when Theo’s face, after their second kiss, flashed in front of his eyes.

“I didn’t really choose, Mase.” He answered, truthfully. “You know I never would have chosen him given the chance.”

As much as he liked Theo, there were probably hundreds of people more suitable for Liam.

“Yeah. I know you would have. You still have a choice, though.”

And Liam laughed at that. “A choice? Oh, Mase… I think it’s already too late for that.”

* * *

_I’m home. -Liam_

_Cool. Thanks for checking in. Was the road ok? -Theo_

_Yeah, Mase is a good driver. -Liam_

_So… Did you talk to him? -Theo_

_Yep. They are official! -Liam_ _  
_ _I mean, Corey and Mason -Liam_

_Oh, that’s cool! I’m glad for them. Corey is going to be on cloud nine. -Theo_

_But I wasn’t really talking about them. -Theo_

_Oh, you mean, did I tell him you kissed me senseless in the middle of the desert? -Liam_

_So, we are not ignoring that part. -Theo_

_No? -Liam_ _  
_ _Theo, did you think I was going to pretend all of this didn’t happen? -Liam_

_It was a possibility? -Theo_ _  
_ _I’m sorry Liam. But it’s not like you have given me a lot to believe in right now. - Theo_

_I kissed you! -Liam_

_Yeah, and you also didn’t know if you were attracted to me. -Theo_ _  
_ _No worries though. I’m glad we cleared that up. -Theo_

_Yes, I talked to Mason about you, you idiot. -Liam_

_And how bad was it? -Theo_

_Bad? Why do you think it would be bad? -Liam_

_It’s not like I am the number one bachelor in town. -Theo_

_Seriously? -Liam_ _  
_ _Mason doesn’t care about what happened. I don’t care about what happened. He just warned me that this would be hard. Also told me not to use you, but that was before this afternoon. -Liam_

_Use me? -Theo_

_Yeah, you know, exactly what I did to you. Not taking into account your feelings and focusing on myself. -Liam_

_That is, if you have feelings. -Liam_

_I mean, feelings for me. -Liam_

_Seriously? -Theo_

_Do you think I go around kissing every dumbass I meet on set? -Theo_

_I don’t know. Maybe you really like dumbasses. -Liam_

_Apparently, I do. -Theo_

_So, about these feelings… -Liam_

_Yes, Liam, I have some kind of retrograded and unlucky feelings for you. -Theo_

_Didn’t get that reference but got the memo. -Liam_

_You’re lucky you are hot. -Theo_

* * *

**@LiamDunbar**

_Everything has changed - 4:10_

And all I've seen  
Since eighteen hours ago   
Is green eyes and freckles and your smile   
In the back of my mind making me feel like   
I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now   
I just wanna know you, know you, know you

'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello"  
And your eyes look like comin' home   
All I know is a simple name   
And everything has changed   
All I know is you held the door   
You'll be mine and I'll be yours   
All I know since yesterday   
Is everything has changed

Liked by @TheTheoRae, @ScottMcCall, @MasonHewitt and 27k others.

* * *

_Excellent song choice. -TheTheoRae_

_I should have sung Don’t Impress Me Much, by Shania Twain. -Liam_

_Liar. -Theo_

_;) -Liam_

  
  


* * *

“What are you smiling at?” Mason asked, as Liam was checking his phone. He had just received a picture of a really sleepy Theo, still in bed, telling him how he wished Liam would be there to be used as a pillow. 

“Nothing,” he said to Mason, while answering with a small blue heart emoji. “So, how are things with Corey?”

Corey was the perfect subject to make Mason forget about anything else. It always worked.

“It’s pretty fine. He might come here the next time he has a two-day break. I’m excited. But at the same time, I don’t want things to go too quickly, you now?”

“Yeah.” Liam said, while smiling again at the screen, where Theo was now pouting.

“Liam?”

“Yeah?”

“Whoever you’re texting right now, and I think I know, you need to check yourself in a mirror. You’ve got that dopey lover smile, and I’m starting to get worried about you.”

Liam closed the conversation, and tried to sober his face. “I’m not texting anyone. Well, not that way. Don’t worry.”

“I don’t. I just noticed that you’ve been daydreaming quite a lot these days, and I sometimes wonder if you’re listening to me. At all.”

“Of course I am, Mase! I’m just… Preoccupied.” He made sure not to lie. “We haven’t heard yet from Disney, and Erica is going to go mad if I don’t get a new contract soon.”

“Don’t you have other offers? Movies? Tv-shows? I’m sure Disney is not the only channel interested in you.”

Liam opened his mouth, but he closed it without saying anything. Mason was mainly right. He knew there must have been other offers on the table, but Erica was the one dealing with all of this, and she had never talked to him about other options. 

“I… I don’t know. I mean, Disney is good to me, you know?”

His best friend looked at him, doubtful, but didn’t try to convince him otherwise, which was for the best, because Liam wasn’t ready to have that conversation. He took an apple and bit into it. The fresh flavor took over his mouth, and he made sure to chew slowly. 

“So, Corey’s taking the plane?” He changed the subject.

“Yeah. Obviously.” Mason seemed to tense a little, and Liam had to refrain himself from smiling. He tried to act casual, taking another bite of the fruit, before asking.

“When are you going to tell him that you’re so afraid of planes you’d rather drive two days to see his face?”

Mason winced, before taking a gulp of his coke bottle. “When we’re steady enough.”

“... Steady?” Liam tried to control his laughter. “Nobody says steady anymore Mase. That’s like, from the seventeenth century.”

“Shut up. Some people are attracted to educated and handsome men.”

“What a pity one can’t be both.”

“I’m going to kill you.” Mason decided, before sending one of the couch pillows into Liam’s face, earning a “Woo, that hurts.”

“Seriously Liam. Why do I have to deal with your bullshit all the time?”

“Because I’m awesome. And because you love me.” He answered, a small satisfied smile on his face. Whatever was to happen, Mason would be there for him.

  
  


* * *

Liam looked at the script in front of his eyes, and sighed. He had already read three, and he was not in any rush to open this one. He grabbed his phone, and clicked on Theo’s name. He was probably shooting, and wouldn’t answer, but it was worth a try.

He was granted his hopeful wish when Theo took the call, his hair sticking all over the scree, and his eyes tired.

“Hey.”

“Hi. Am I bothering you ?”

Theo looked around him, and smiled. “Nah. Never.”

Liam couldn’t help but smile at that, and he tried to hide it in his elbow, but Theo saw it.

“Oh, Prince Charming likes the sweet talking.”

“Shut up.” Liam said, with no heat. “God, why do I even like you ?”

“Because I’m super hot, a great conversationalist, and I stand you ?”

“Fair enough. What are you doing ?”

“Waiting for one of the sets to be cleaned. This scene gets so messy. I have a few minutes. What happened ?”

“Nothing. I was just… Dying of boredom.”

“Oh ?”

“Reading scripts.”

“That’s good, right ? You having scripts ?”

“Yeah…” Liam sighed. “Erica convinced them to send those to me. But I don’t really like them ?”

“What are the stories about ?”

“Uh, this one is about a magic skater that can fly through time. This one is for a remake of Lizzie McGuire but in which she is a secret spy ? And this one, oh god, it’s the male version of Hannah Montana.”

Theo laughed, holding his phone closer to his face. “Okay, so not super interesting ?”

“Oh, they are interesting if you like clichés. In the first one, the black character spends her time saying _snap_. In the second, the cute guy is in fact the super bad guy who kills cats. And in Yann Montana…”

“Yann Montana ?” Theo asked, now laughing so hard his eyes were showing tears.

“He doesn’t have an official name !” Liam tried, but he was laughing too. “This is all super ridiculous.”

“It is. But I’m glad you called.”

Liam smiled. “Yeah ? Me too.”

  
  


* * *

Liam sighed, before closing the book he was trying to read. It was the first time since he had started acting that he had so much free time, and not an idea about how to use it. Sure, the possibility of leaving town to see Theo again had tempted him a few times, but he knew Erica was working really hard on getting him a new show, and she had asked him to stick around. Apparently, these things took time, but when a decision had to be made, it was better for the actor to be available for some screen trials.

His phone buzzed, and he checked it quickly, frowning when he saw he had been added to a new group chat.

**_The X-Men’s Crazy Weekend in California_ **

He opened the chat, and smiled immediately at Scott’s texts.

_SOOOOOO -SMC_

_AS WE ALL HAVE THREE DAYS OFF SET NEXT WEEK, AND OUR DEAR-ECTOR TOLD US WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO SOMETHING AS A TEAM, WE ALL VOTED AND DECIDED TO COME TO CALIFORNIA TO SEE THE THREE OF YOU! -SMC_

_I have to say I didn’t vote for this. -Malia_

_But you’re still coming, right??? -SMC_

_Right Malia? -SMC_

_Yes. -Malia_

_COOL! -SMC_

_So I added everyone : Malia, Lydia, Mason, Liam, and also my best friend Stiles who lives in Cali too. -SMC_

_Yep, that’s me. Hi guys! -Stiles_

_He is cool, don’t worry. -SMC_

_Hi Stiles! -Mason_

_I’m so excited!! -Corey_

_Me too!! -Mason_

_Oh, look at the lovebirds! -SMC_

_Also, Liam, you are probably wondering why Theo isn’t coming, but he has a prior engagement. -SMC_

A prior engagement? The whole cast was coming to see them but Theo wasn’t? Liam bit his lips, typing a quick message to acknowledge he had read the discussion, before doing a double-tap on Theo’s name.

He selected the Facetime option, and waited. Theo didn’t answer right away, so Liam repeated the action, still thinking about Scott’s words. And when Theo’s face finally appeared on his screen, his hair wet and his face half-shaved, he reacted without having to think about it.

“A prior engagement, Theo?”

He saw the actor sigh, and grab his razor.

“Hello to you too Liam. I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

“Well, I’m not. I just learnt that the whole cast is coming, but you aren’t.”

“I thought I would have time to warn you about this. I asked Scott to keep it on the down-low until…”

“Well, he just created a group chat, but you wouldn’t know, as you are not in it.”

Theo didn’t answer, carefully shaving the side of his face that had cream on it, and Liam didn’t really want him to hurt himself, so he stayed silent. When he was finally done, Theo rinsed the razor quickly and grabbed a towel.

“Yeah. I can’t come.”

“So, you are the one who told me three days ago how much you wanted to see me, but when the occasion rises, you have something else to do?”

Theo’s lips twitched, and he left his bathroom, one of his hands still secured around the phone.

“I do miss you. And I do want to spend time with you. I just can’t this weekend.”

“What’s your excuse?”

“It’s not an excuse, Liam. I have a meeting.”

“A meeting.”

“Yes.”

“About…?”

“Why does it matter? You asked, and I told you. I can’t come.”

Liam opened his mouth, the deception still burning in his stomach, but he closed it. Theo was looking at him, face guarded, but he seemed to see that the discussion was not over.

“Look, if I could, I would come. God, I would come any day. It’s just… Not possible right now.”

“... Okay.” Liam muttered, before swallowing. He didn’t know why he cared so much, and it was definitely a weird thought, being already so attached to Theo. But he wasn’t used to long-distance relationships, and the fact that he could have had an opportunity to see him for real was maddening. “Okay.” He repeated. “You have a meeting.” 

“Yeah.” Theo answered, looking like he had much more to say. “I have a meeting.”

“And it’s not… An excuse not to see me?”

Oh god, how Liam hated himself right now. Why had his voice been so pleading? He had never decided to be this way with Theo, but everytime they had a discussion, he found himself behaving more and more like a lovestruck idiot.

“What? No! No, Liam. I promise. I told you I would love to see you, and I would never… Shit.” Theo sighed, but there was an urgency in his eyes. “Okay. Okay, look, there are still some things I didn’t really tell you alright?”

“Are you in the CIA?” Liam answered, trying to stay as cool as possible considering the fact that Theo was finally opening up a little bit.

“No. Not yet. Look, it’s just not possible for me to come.”

“So you don’t have a meeting?”

He sighed. “I do. But not the kind of meeting you are thinking about.”

“I’m not thinking about any kind of meeting Theo. I am listening to you, and trying to make sense of all of this.”

“Yeah. Sure. So, yeah. I can’t come because… God, you are going to find me so lame. Or like… Crazy.”

“You are not really helping your case right now.” Liam remarked, staring at Theo, who was avoiding looking at the screen.

“Yeah, I know. I just… I have a problem with the whole thing.”

“The whole thing?”

“... Partying.”

“You don’t want to party?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s more that I can’t.”

Liam sighed. “I really don’t get you right now.”

“Okay.” Theo sighed, and then, talked like the words were extracted from his mouth by force. “There will be alcohol. Everyone is going to drink like crazy, and I can’t…”

“Oh, hold on. So the problem is the party?”

Theo slowly nodded. “Yes. And more specifically the alcohol. I’m… How do I say this? God, I hate this word. Okay. I’m sober Liam.”

Liam opened his mouth, to answer that, yes, at this time of day, he was sober too, but the realness of what Theo had just said hit him like a train. 

“... Oh.”

“Yeah. And I know it’s super lame, but it’s also in my contract, and they test me super often, so I really can’t…”

Theo seemed unravelled, lost in whatever ideas he was having, and he looked more fragile than any other time Liam had seen him. He wanted to be there, on the other side of the screen, to hug Theo and tell him that it was going to be okay. But he couldn’t, so the next best thing he had was trying to deal with the situation calmly.

“Okay.” He said, all fight vanished from his voice. “Okay, Theo. You can’t drink. I get it.”

“... You do?” The actor asked, looking at Liam through the screen, his eyebrows raised and his eyes too dark.

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t get everything, but if you can’t drink, you can’t drink. I can respect that.”

“I’m…”

“But I also don’t see why it’s a problem for the weekend. I mean, you could come.”

“I don’t really think I would like being surrounded by drunk people. No offense.”

“None taken. And I wouldn’t drink either.”

“You wouldn’t?”

Liam smiled, trying to warm Theo just by the tone of his voice. “Of course I wouldn’t. I am not going to let you be alone in this. I am kind of used to it. I can’t drink in front of cameras. You have no idea how many parties I drank water at.”

“But everyone…”

“Yeah, everyone will drink, but not us. I’d rather not drink than not have you there.”

“You are… Why are you so nice about this?”

“Because I care?” Liam answered, without thinking. “I mean… You’re right, I don’t know everything about you. But I do want to know. And I can’t learn these things if you are on the other side of the continent. So, if that’s enough for you, I’ll definitely be sober too.”

Theo was looking at him with something Liam didn’t recognize in the eyes, like he was something Theo had never seen, and he felt his cheeks flush. “And this meeting?” He asked, smiling.

“Oh. Yeah. I go to an… AA meeting. I have to. Twice a week. I have to get signatures from the people holding the meeting.”

So, it wasn’t just a small thing, Liam thought. Theo had mentioned his contract, and the tests, and now these meetings. He had no idea how any of it worked, but he promised himself to get more info. Still, he had so many questions. “Theo… Are you an alcoholic?”

He looked at Theo’s eyes, and at the way they were trying to find answers around him. But in the end, he just sighed. “I don’t know. I just know that I did let alcohol rule my life for a time, and that I am not a good person when I drink. And I know I can’t drink, for now.”

“Okay”, Liam answered. “Okay. That’s fine. So the meeting, can you have it another night?”

Theo slowly nodded. “Yeah, I already went to one yesterday. I could go Thursday morning.”

“So, if I understand the situation… You could come, right?”

“I could.”

“But you are not sure about it?”

“Liam, I promise it has nothing to do with you. I’m… I’m really trying to make the best decisions I can right now, and I don’t know what would happen if I was around all of them drunk.”

Liam was tempted to say _but you would have me_. Thankfully, he was quick enough not to say those words. Instead, he smiled at Theo. “It’s okay. Take your time. Make up your mind. And once that’s done, feel free to change it. No one is going to force you into anything.” He was almost surprised by his own ability to say those words. He felt more mature, now, and he liked it. But most of all, he liked the way Theo was now looking at him on the screen.

“You’re… Incredible.”

“Well, look at who is talking.”

“I mean it Liam. I didn’t expect you to… You know.”

“What, be a human? Yeah, shocking I know.”

“You dick.” Theo said, with a laugh, and it was probably the best noise Liam had ever heard. “You know I’m not talking about this. I just didn’t think you would understand.”

Liam pondered with his answers. “I am not saying I understand everything right now. But I think I know you. And if this whole sober situation matters so much to you, then it matters to me too.”

“That’s… Thank you.”

Liam shook his head, before sighing. He brought one of his hands to cup his own jaw. “So, what are you shooting today?”

“... Well played, Liam. Well played.”

* * *

_So, Liam, Mason, can you organize the whole thing? We’ll fly in on Saturday morning, and leave Sunday evening. We need somewhere safe to party on Saturday. -SMC_

_Sure. Liam? -Mason_

_I know a club. It’s super strict. No phones allowed, so no pictures. It’s kind of full of artists, and well-known people, so you can’t be sure no one will talk about it, but at least they can’t have proof. Or bother you.. -Liam_

_Sounds awesome! -Stiles_

_Do we even know you? -Lydia_

_You don’t. But I’ve seen you around. -Stiles_

_Around? -Lydia_

_… In movies and things. -Stiles_

_Scott, please tell me he isn’t a fan. -Lydia_

_I’m afraid he kind of is. But don’t worry, he will behave. -SMC_ _  
_ _Liam, what’s the name of the club? -SMC_

_The Fifty-one. -Liam_

_I’ll make a reservation. -Liam_

_I’ll pay for the table. -SMC_

_Also, we need a hotel not too far from it? -SMC_

_There is a great place. How many rooms? -Liam_

_One for Stiles and I, one for the girls, and then maybe one for the both of you? -SMC_

_I AM NOT SHARING. -Lydia_

_Okay, okay, alright! -SMC_

_OH!!!! -SMC_

_Scott McCall added Theo to the chat._

_Look who is coming!!!! -SMC_

_But you had a thing? -Malia_

_Yeah, I was able to move it around a bit. I’ll fly to the meeting and then fly back to Cali. -Theo_

_Awesome! -Mason_

_:) -Theo_

* * *

“So… Theo is flying in early.” Liam said, as Mason was playing with his bag of tea.

“Hm?”

“Like, a day early.”

“And that’s good, right?”

“He said we could sleep at the hotel.” Liam tried to grab Mason’s attention. “The two of us. In the same room.”

That seemed to do the trick, as Mason forgot about his drink, and looked at him. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“Like in sharing a bed?”

“I think so.”

“And…”

“And I’m kind of lost here, Mase. That’s all new to me.” Liam tried not to raise his eyes, as Mason smiled. “You know what I mean.”

“He is your first guy.”

“Yeah.”

“And you are wondering how things go.” 

“Kinda.”

Mason sighed, a small smile on the lips. “It’s not that different from what you did with girls before, Liam.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You also know about lube, right?”

“That’s not my point Mase. I know about the technicalities.” Liam wasn’t about to explain how he had found himself on google, trying to get a better understanding of the _mechanics._ “It’s more… How do I make sure I’m not doing something wrong?”

“Something wrong?”

“It’s Theo. He can appear a bit like a dick, but he isn’t very keen on saying when things don’t go well.” 

“Oh.” Mason reacted, before blinking slowly. “Well, I think you can expect him to tell you.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Trust me, he will. And if it makes you feel better, you should be able to read him. You know, if you are doing something he likes, you will know about it.”

Liam opened his mouth, before closing it. He tried to imagine himself, with Theo. They had only kissed, but it had been pretty intense, and he could remember Theo’s moan against his lips. Yeah, Theo was definitely reactive, and not shy about sharing when he felt good. 

“Okay. So I just… Go with the flow?”

Mason laughed, and Liam sighed. His best friend was clearly amused by the situation. “Yes, Liam, you go with the flow. He might be your first, but I’m pretty sure you aren’t his. He will know. He will show you. Just trust yourself and go with what makes you feel good.”

* * *

Liam smiled at Mason who closed the door after him. He knew the precautions he had taken might be over the top, but he had no choice. If he was seen entering a room with Theo…

He looked at his phone one last time. He had made sure to be seen entering the hotel with Mason, and now, his best friend was leaving by a side door, to bring the pass to Theo. He was pretty sure there had been no paparazzi at the entrance, but there was no way to be sure.

Time seemed to still, as he waited on the bed. Was it too much? Maybe he should have taken a double bed room. Maybe Theo wasn’t expecting them to sleep together. In fact, Liam had no idea if he himself was ready for more than the kisses they had shared when they had last seen each other. 

He wondered how weird it would feel, seeing Theo again. He remembered how he had felt, the first time, after the message they had exchanged. It was hard to reconcile the Theo who was so far away, and the one he was in real life. 

Liam didn’t have time to think more about it, as the door opened, and someone appeared on the other side. He had to admit Theo had made an effort not to be recognized. He was wearing sweatpants, a black hoodie, glasses, and a cap. He closed the door quickly, and removed his hat, the sunglasses, and dropped his bag on the floor, before smiling at Liam. 

“Hi.”

Liam didn’t answer. He had waited a little bit too long for this, and he felt something inside his stomach pushing for him to act on his feelings. So, he walked towards Theo, grabbed the front of his hoodie, and kissed him.

Theo made a noise of surprise, before finding his footing, and kissed back just as intensely. And when Liam moved his head to breathe, he felt Theo’s smile against his skin.

“So, I assume you missed me?”

* * *

Liam had no idea what had happened. He just knew they were now on the bed, Theo shirtless on top of him, and he was not particularly willing to let go. The mattress was comfortable and he couldn’t get enough of mapping Theo’s skin with his fingers. His hips were moving following Theo’s, and it just felt right. So right, that when Theo put some space between them, he let a small disappointed sound escape his lips. He was rewarded by a small laugh, one he had never heard before, and that he wanted to memorize forever. It felt like this with each step of getting to know Theo. Liam hadn’t planned it, but he found himself packing away details about the other actor, from the way he had moaned when Liam had forced him down, to the way he looked, breathless, his lips red and his eyes wet.

“Okay.” Theo breathed out. “Not that I don’t like this but if we keep going I am not sure I will have enough willpower to stop it.”

“Then don’t stop?” Liam offered, trying to rise from where he was laying to kiss Theo, but his partner pushed him against the bed.

“This sounds really, really tempting, but I’m gross, and very tired, and this is not how I want to do things. With you.”

Even if Theo’s voice sounded teasing, there was something on his face that made Liam stop. He clearly was really into it, if the part of Theo that Liam had felt against his leg early on was proof enough, but he still didn’t want them to go all the way. Which, as much as Liam had liked this moment, did make sense. So, he stayed on the bed, and sighed. “Okay. Want to take a shower?”

Theo smiled, and put more distance between them. “I think I will. You can change here. And then… We can go to bed?”

Liam didn’t answer, only looking at the hot guy, shirtless, in front of him. Bed. Yes, that did sound good. But what did bed entail?

“You’re freaking out.” Theo whispered, one of his hands reaching for Liam’s biceps. “Please, don’t. I don’t want to… Do anything that you wouldn’t be comfortable with.”

“I know.” Liam said, looking at the ceiling. “That’s kind of the problem. I don’t know what I’m comfortable with right now.”

“But… This was okay, right?” Theo asked, suddenly worried, and Liam rolled on his side to face him, a smile on his face.

“Oh, definitely.”

“Good.”

Theo moved, to leave the bed, and Liam looked at him, as he grabbed the clothes they had discarded on the floor. “So, shower?”

“Yes. I’ll be back in a few. And then, we can sleep.”

“Just sleep?”

“Just sleep,” Theo said, leaning against the wall. “I’m exhausted, and we need energy for everyone tomorrow.”

Liam looked at him, wondering why Theo had taken another plane, and made so many arrangements to come early, if it was only for sharing a bed with him. But before he had time to ask, Theo stood up from the bed and went into the bathroom.

Liam changed quickly, wondering if he was supposed to wear sweatpants, but choosing not to, and he waited on the bed for Theo, who came back quickly. Then, Liam left the room to brush his teeth, and when he came back, Theo was in the bed, wearing only boxers, the sheets opened on his right side. Without a word, Liam laid down next to him, and grabbed a pillow, trying to find a comfortable position. It had been so long since he had shared his bed with someone. He moved around, uneasy, doing his best to ignore the fact that Theo was almost naked next to him. He was probably not doing a great job, because Theo sighed, and moved to sneak his arm around Liam’s stomach.

Liam froze, taking in the way Theo’s skin seemed to burn where the hem of his t-shirt wasn’t down. 

“You okay?” Theo whispered, his breath causing shivers on Liam’s spine.

“Yeah.” He answered, because indeed, it felt nice having Theo so close. “And you?”

“Perfect.” Theo answered, a smile in his voice. “This? Totally worth a thousand miles.”

For a second, Liam thought Theo was mocking him. But there was no laugh, only Theo’s body coming a little closer, and his nose finding the back of Liam’s neck. It felt more like intimacy than all their kisses before, and it worried Liam a little more. He didn’t understand, couldn’t comprehend, how someone could worm their way into his life like Theo had done. He should have probably stopped everything earlier in their relationships. In fact, he should probably have kept himself from considering Theo as a potential partner.

But Theo was breathing slowly behind him, and his hand was soft against Liam’s stomach, tracing invisible lines. He wasn’t asking for more. And in the few dozens of minutes they had spent together, Liam had not once thought about anything happening outside of the bubble of their hotel.

Theo was that good.

* * *

When Liam woke up, it took him a few seconds to remember where he was, and why. He was used to hotel rooms, but there was another scent on his pillow, and it was one he recognized immediately. He turned, only to be face to face with Theo, leaning against the bed frame, his eyes on his phone.

“Aren’t you supposed to watch me as I sleep?” Liam asked, his voice a bit rough from the sleep. Theo smiled, and put his phone on the bed table. 

“We are not in a movie Liam. You do look cute, but I’m not going to stare at you for hours.”

“So you stared at me?” Liam asked, before yawning, and Theo pushed him gently so that he was lying again.

“I did.”

He didn’t get to answer, because Theo was kissing him, and that was a very nice way to wake up, Liam decided. It was not as intense as the day before, Theo being more gentle, almost tender. 

“We need to get dressed.” Theo whispered after a while. “The others are almost at the airport by now.”

Liam used his arms to lift himself up, stealing another kiss. “Yeah. We do.”

Theo seemed happy, his eyes focused on Liam’s face, and Liam couldn’t help but smile. “Slept well?”

“Hm.” 

Despite insisting on them needing to get ready, Theo let himself fall on the pillows, and Liam closed the space between them, resting his head on the actor’s chest, still looking at him.Theo was looking at the ceiling now, thoughtful.

“Are you… Worried?” Liam tried.

Theo grabbed his hand, and laced their fingers. He didn’t answer right away.

“Maybe.”

“About tonight?”

“Yeah.”

Liam had done his homework. He had read about what Theo had told him, but still, he was aware there were things he didn’t know.

“I’ll be there. And if you don’t feel like it, we can just skip the club. I’ll pretend I have a stomach bug or something.”

Theo smiled at that, his free fingers slowly making their way on Liam’s arm. “You are way too nice about this.”

Liam almost didn’t answer, too curious about the way the contact felt. “Hm. I think you are the nice one.”

“I’m really not.”

There was something in Theo’s voice, something Liam had only heard when they had been talking about the weekend, and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know about it. Clearly, the subject was sensitive, and he wasn’t really the kind of person who forced the truth out of people.

“I think you are,” he just said, letting Theo’s breathing rock him slowly. “Really, really nice.”

“Nice people don’t have encounters with the cops.” Theo whispered, still moving his hand against Liam’s arm. “Nice people don’t end up in rehab.”

“So that part was true?” Liam asked, trying to stay as calm as possible. Theo seemed to hesitate, before sighing. “Yeah, it was.”

Liam didn’t say anything, just careful not to push too much. And when Theo’s voice raised again, he tried not to hold his breath. “Yeah. A lot of what you’ve probably read was true. I started playing in ‘Today, Tomorrow and Forever’ when I was six. Tara was eight. They were looking for siblings, and we were a good fit. We grew up on the set, never went to real school again but had a tutor, just like the other kids. It was… Kind of nice, at the time. Now, I can see how unhealthy it was, but which kid wouldn’t like to play and not go to school? We grew up there, and the set was not very far from other tv-shows sets, so we made friends. Our characters quickly became regulars, and the story started to focus on our family when I was thirteen. It was incredible, getting people who would recognize me in the street. But you know about that.”

“Hm.”

Theo took his time, and each word started to feel heavier than the precedent. “When I was eighteen, she became sick. Really sick. We kept it under wraps, and I did my best to be there for her. She was a fighter and she got better. I started going out more, discovering myself, and she was so supportive. Never judged me once. But then, last year, she learnt her illness had come back. And not in a nice way. She knew the fight would be hard, but she insisted on having it integrated into her story. She wanted… She wanted people to know about it, to learn things. She wanted to be an example. But the medicine and the treatments made her really sick. It wasn’t like the first time. She became weak, but she insisted on keeping on with filming. So I had all these scenes with her at the fake hospital on set, and then I would drive her to the real hospital. It became a lot.”

Liam was forcing himself not to move, not to react, because he was pretty sure the moment he would, Theo would stop talking. Still, the need to just hug him was crushing Liam and he planned to do so as soon as he had the whole story.

“So yeah, it became a lot. I started partying more, trying to forget about it. And then one night, I went home alone because she was at the hospital, and I poured myself a drink. And it helped. For the time I was drunk, things were okay. But of course, everytime I became sober again, all these feelings came back even harder. So I had to keep drinking, you know? I couldn’t face it. Nobody really saw it in the beginning. Do you have any idea how easy it is to hide vodka in a water bottle?” Theo let a small laugh escape his lips. “I was keeping myself in a state in which I wasn’t drunk enough to show, but still tipsy enough not to feel too much.”

“No one… No one saw it?” Liam wondered, under his breath. “I think she saw how bad I was getting. How I didn’t care about things anymore. She asked me to get myself together. And I… And I couldn’t, because I just wanted to not feel and… The last few times we saw each other at the hospital, I was drunk, and I think she knew. She kept saying I had to pull through, and that she loved me, but she was dying and I wasn’t even strong enough not to drink for one day. One day. I couldn’t give her one day Liam.”

Theo’s voice was low, and the pain he was feeling was hard on Liam’s ears. “She died, and they asked me to do a scene for the tv-show, and it was so painful, I couldn’t breathe, but they still saw that I had been drinking. They gave me a few days. But then, I was supposed to come back, and they found me inebriated at nine in the morning. Nine. So yeah, they let me go. I didn’t have a job anymore, I didn’t have a sister anymore, my mom is in Australia with her new husband and my dad is in New York. I wasn’t a good person to be around. I made mistakes. Really bad mistakes. But I had been on the roll for the new X-Men movie, and I got the call that I had gotten it just before the whole Hayden scandal. My publicist busted his ass off to make sure they didn’t take the offer back. The conditions were kind of hard but I deserved them. Rehab first. Then, no alcohol. Tests anytime. And the meetings.”

“And the movie was enough to convince you to get clean?” Liam asked, trying to make the pieces of the puzzle fit.

“I mean, I don’t know. I just knew I had to go rehab, and then there were rules for some time, and I was like, I can do this.”

“For some time…”

“Yeah. Once the movie is done, all of this will go away. The rules, I mean. Whatever I feel and what the world remembers of me will never die.”

Liam didn’t know what to say. There was no way for him to find an answer that would be comforting enough to make up for the whole story. It was certainly the first time in his life someone had been so open with him, talking about problems he had never encountered. And it felt empowering. Because it meant that Theo trusted him. And Liam wanted nothing more. He had to give it to Theo; being able to just lay out his mistakes was brave, and terribly private. So, Liam didn’t even try to find the words, choosing instead to reach out for a very awkward hug. Theo froze for a second, before hugging him back, a small sad laugh escaping his lips. 

“So. Do you still want to do this?” Theo finally asked.

“This?”

“You know. You. Me.”

Liam shook his head, and smiled. “Yeah. I think I do.”

* * *

They all met in Mason’s room, and it was a mess of greetings and questions. If Scott had chosen to wear jeans, Lydia was looking immaculate in her dress that was - according to Mason - really in. 

It had apparently been a while since they all had time off, and Scott really wanted to go to the beach. Malia agreed, but Lydia clearly stated that she couldn’t go on without a shopping spree, which meant they had to form two groups. To Liam’s surprise, Mason chose to go to the beach, obviously followed by Corey. He hesitated for a moment, before looking at Theo, who was smiling at something Scott had just said.

“I don’t know…” He tried. How was he supposed to guess what Theo wanted to do? Or maybe Theo didn’t want them to go together. He was reassured when the other actor looked at him expectantly. 

“I’m not sure about the beach.” Liam said, trying to sound as detached as possible.

“Yeah, me neither”, Theo agreed. “Maybe we can go with Lydia? It wouldn’t be very nice of us to let her carry the dozens of bags she is probably going to get.”

Liam offered him a small smile, and Lydia looked at the both of them. “You aren’t going to spend the afternoon complaining, are you?”

“No, Madam.” Theo answered, and by the way Lydia smiled at that, it must have been an inside joke between the both of them.

“Maybe I should come too.” Stiles said, eyeing Lydia, enthusiasm easy to read on his face, but the girl just looked at him like he wasn’t worth an answer. “Okay, okay. Going to the beach with my man Scottie now.”

* * *

The city was big, and full of famous people, but Lydia still called her agent to get a security guard. He was big, and impressive, but also looked bored as hell, which was probably a good thing. Liam followed Lydia in shops he had never been to, and everytime he read one of the price tags, he had to keep from commenting on the prices. At the moment, he was looking at a nice scarf that would probably please his mother, but when he checked the price, he put it back with haste.

“Did the nasty scarf burn you?” Theo suddenly said, behind him, close enough that Liam could feel his breath on his neck, but not close enough that he could appreciate the moment.

“This thing costs six hundred dollars, Theo. Six hundred dollars for a scarf!”

“Yeah, but it’s Chanel.” The actor answered, taking the scarf in his hands. “Nice color.”

“Who pays that amount of money for a piece of fabric?”

Without a word, they both turned to look at Lydia, who was ordering two employees around.

“Point taken.” Liam sighed. 

Theo moved to be in front of him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“You don’t seem particularly happy here.”

Liam wasn’t used to people paying attention to him. Not really. He had gotten really good at hiding his emotions, and the fact that he felt sufficiently at ease with Theo not to put on a mask was probably another sign of the fact that he wasn’t hiding from him.

“I’m just… You know, that’s a lot of money.”

“I’m pretty sure the suits you wear at your premieres are worth more.”

And Theo wasn’t wrong. Liam had worn some nice suits these last few years. That was one of the perks of this job.

“Yeah, well, I don’t really know how much they cost.”

Theo laughed at that, and played with the scarf in his hands. “I didn’t expect you to. I’m pretty sure your whole life is organized by other people. Am I right?”

Liam opened his mouth to deny it, before thinking about it. He came to his conclusion with a grimace.

“... You could say that. How did you know though?”

Theo put back the scarf, and faced him. “You are staying in this city, even though nothing is happening, just because your publicist told you so.”

“You never know…”

“Do you think my publicist likes the idea of me being here? Going to parties?”

And Liam knew it couldn’t be the case. Not with everything Theo had told him in the morning. “I guess not.”

“You’re correct.”

“Then, how do you do it?”

Theo seemed to hesitate for a second, before shaking his head. “You have to find a middle ground. These people are here to protect you, that’s right, but they don’t really care about your personal happiness.”

“Erica does.”

“Does she, really? Is she asking you how you feel about this whole situation? Did she check on you to make sure you were okay these last few days?”

Liam sighed. “She is really busy trying to get me a new role.”

“I bet she is.” Theo said, his voice almost sad. “That doesn’t mean I am wrong. Sometimes, you’ve got to make decisions for yourself.”

“I am. Choosing to stay here, and trying to get another show is the decision I made.” Liam tried.

“Yeah. Well…”

“Guys!” Lydia called, from the register. “Are you going to be looking at these women's clothes much longer? I have other places to be!”

* * *

“How many more?” Liam whispered, defeated, as Lydia entered another high-end store. “How much money does this girl have?”

“A lot.” Theo answered, trying to adjust his grip on the three bags he was carrying. “Her dad works in Wall Street, and I think all of her money gets invested.”

“Oh. That makes sense.”

“Hm.”

“What are your parents’ jobs?” Liam asked, taking one of the bags from Theo, and trying not to let his own load fall. Theo froze.

“My parents?”

“Yeah? You said they weren’t really there, but you didn’t…”

“My dad is a teacher. And my mom… Well, last time I spoke to her she was a cashier, but god only knows what she is doing now.”

“You don’t keep in touch with them?”

Theo sighed, and leaned against one of the walls, looking at the shoes in front of them. “No, I don’t. They never married. They separated when we were really young, and my mom got custody. She wanted money, and easy money, so she got us into the business. But then, she spent all the money we had earned for herself, so my dad fought her in court, and won us back. He said we didn’t have to keep filming. He really wanted to get us out. He is super conservative, and he hated how liberal the show was. But we were having fun, and Tara insisted that we keep going. So he found someone to take care of us, and went back to his small city.”

Liam opened his mouth, but Theo was quicker.

“Don’t. I know how it sounds, and I know how it looks, but there is nothing to be sorry for. He still calls for birthdays. And he came to Tara’s funeral. But he is remarried, and he has children who actually follow what he wants so… Yeah.”

There was a silence, as Liam tried to find the correct reaction to all of this. He remembered how they had talked, before their first kiss, and how Theo had told him he had gotten pretty lucky. At that time, he had no idea how right he was. Even if Liam’s life hadn’t been perfect, it was nowhere near close to what Theo went through. He looked around, at the shop.

“Okay. So… Do you want to buy high heels for tonight?”

Theo’s relieved laugh answered him.

* * *

After three hours of shopping, Lydia finally agreed to taking a break, and they found themselves hiding in a small coffee shop, waiting for their orders. The security guard was sitting with them, and they probably looked ridiculous and mismatched. People were looking, but no one seemed to be taking pictures. Still, Liam knew he should warn Erica about all of this.

_So, the X-Men crew is in town and I’m spending time with them. Just thought you should know. - Liam_

_Again? -Erica_ _  
_ _Please tell me you have a good reason for this. -Erica_

_A good reason? -Liam_

_A girl, L. Someone neat you could be seen with. Lydia Martin would be perfect. Not so sure about Malia Tate though._

He looked at the texts, wondering if he was supposed to laugh, or cry. Theo seemed curious, so he gave him the phone for a second, and was rewarded by a small laugh. 

“What am I supposed to answer?” Liam asked, as Theo was looking at Lydia, and then at him. 

“Tell her Lydia is absolutely gorgeous and you are totally into her.”

“I’m not lying!” Liam said quickly, before turning to the actress. “I mean, yeah, you are drop-dead gorgeous but I’m not…”

“No worries.” She answered, looking at her nails. “I really need a manicure. Hm, yeah, I’m not really into you either Liam.”

“That’s always good to know.” Liam sighed. “Okay. Let me…”

_I’m sorry Erica, but no, I’m not into Lydia. -Liam_

_Can you still get pictures taken with her? -Erica_

_Well, yes, but Theo will probably be on them too. -Liam_

_Theo Raeken? Again?? - Erica_

_I told you it was all the X-Men guys. And girls. What did you expect? -Liam_

_Look, L, I might have been wrong the first time, because the press apparently liked the idea that the two of you were friends, but he is still a reminder of what happened and it would be better for you not to associate with him. -Erica_

_He is a friend. And I don’t have a lot of those at the moment. -Liam_

_I was just letting you know. Because you always want me to update you on these things. I didn’t ask for your opinion. -Liam_

_Listen to me closely L. I don’t know what is happening to you these days, but you don’t get to talk to me like that. I am doing everything I can to salvage your career, and you are being a little shit about it. I am not trying to ruin your life, and I am not trying to tell you how to live it. I’m only giving you advice, because you need it, and because that’s what I’m paid for. So enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday, when you will, hopefully, have your head on your shoulders again. -Erica_

Liam turned off his phone, and he could feel the blush on his cheeks. He wasn’t really used to Erica coming at him like that, and in a way, he did deserve it. She was doing her best, after all, and she probably didn’t deserve the way he had talked to her.

“Everything good?” Theo asked, and when Liam looked at him, he was faced with the enormity of his situation. He hadn’t been lying when he had told Mason that being with Theo wasn’t an escape, but in a way, he was starting to live two very distinct lives, and it wasn’t a good thing. He was Liam, the Disney actor. And he was Liam, the one who spent nights into Theo’s arms. 

“I don’t know.” He answered honestly. Theo was about to say more, but the waitress came back with their drinks, and Liam tried to follow the conversation, still thinking about how things had changed way more than he had expected

* * *

Liam kept thinking about Erica for the rest of the afternoon. A few people came to them, asking for pictures, sometimes with one of them, sometimes the whole group, but the guy Lydia had hired just kept them away. It felt weird to Liam, who had always agreed with any solicitation, but he also knew that there would be enough pictures of them walking together on social media.

Theo kept trying to talk to him, and Liam did his best to answer, but everytime he looked at the other actor, he remembered how different from his public image he had been. He felt almost guilty, and he hated it.

They regrouped at the hotel, and it was a relief, because with as many people in the room, Liam didn’t have to pretend to be interested in the conversation. Apparently, the others had a great time at the beach, and now they just wanted to take a shower and get ready for the night. He pretended needing a shower too, and escaped into his room. The hot water felt nice, flushing away the tension in his shoulders, and he took his time. When he left the room, to get to his luggage, he almost had a heart attack. 

“Sorry!” Theo said, from the bed where he was sitting. “Sorry, I didn’t think…”

Liam looked at him, one hand still on his heart, and very conscious that he was only wearing a towel. “What… What are you doing here?” 

“You were taking a while so I said to the others I was gonna check on you.”

Theo didn’t move from the bed, and Liam walked to his bag, searching for the clothes he had packed for the evening. He found his shirt first, but his pants were nowhere to be found.

“Liam?” Theo called, hesitant. 

“Hm?”

“What’s happening?”

“I can’t find my pants.”

He heard a sigh behind him, and turned. Theo looked suddenly ill-at-ease.

“Look, if I did something, or said something that made you uncomfortable…”

“What?” Liam tried to focus on the words. “What are you talking about?”

“We were having a nice time, and then suddenly you just… Went back into your head.”

Liam apparently kept forgetting that someone was looking at him, now, and that he couldn’t use his usual tricks to hide how he felt. And facing Theo, who clearly thought that he was the reason why it happened, Liam felt another pang of guilt. He definitely wasn’t doing things right. Not by Erica, and not by Theo. Theo deserved better than to just think he was the cause behind all of Liam’s problems.

“I’m sorry.” He said, grabbing one of the hotel’s robes, and hiding his body inside. “Theo, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

But the actor didn’t seem to believe it. “What happened then?”

Liam sat on the bed, next to him, and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers, and marveling at how easy it had become. “I just… I got into an argument with Erica.”

“What about?” Theo asked, letting himself fall on the bed, and bringing Liam with him. Liam’s head collided with his shoulder, and he let a small curse escape him, as Theo muttered a “Sorry”. 

“It’s nothing. I just told her I didn’t want her judgement, and she came back at me about the way I have been texting her. And she is kind of right. I haven’t been super professional, or nice.”

“Oh.” Theo whispered. “So, it really has nothing to do with me?”

Liam sighed, moving so his nose could be just under Theo’s chin. “Well, I wouldn’t say it has nothing to do with you, but you are not responsible for any of it.”

There was a silence. “That… Doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“I figured. I’m just, kind of lost these days. Because of what I am showing to the world, and then what I feel when I am with you. And it’s like there are two very different Liams living in my head right now.”

“And… What do you feel when you are with me?”

Liam didn’t answer immediately. Insted, he closed his eyes, and inhaled Theo’s smell, the lingering aftershave, and the outside air. Just like in the morning, it felt like the world was theirs, and for one second, Liam didn’t have any doubts.

“Free.” He answered.

* * *

Liam had to say everyone had made an effort. They were all in Scott’s room, wearing nice clothes, and both of the girls had chosen very appropriate dresses. Well, Lydia had. Malia was wearing something so short Liam wasn’t sure she was wearing underwear.

“Everyone already knows I am a punk.” She said, as Scott was offering her a glass. They had ordered a few bottles, deciding to drink a bit before going out, and Lydia had insisted on champagne, and not any bottle, but the most expensive of the card. Liam looked around as people accepted glasses full of the fizzy drink. When Scott stopped in front of him, he smiled. “No, thanks.”

Scott raised an eyebrow, looking at the glass. “Oh, you don’t like champagne? We have some other things too…”

“Actually, I’d like a soda.” He didn’t wait for Scott to grab him one, walking to the small refrigerator in the room. “I would feel guilty about the prices of those but I’m pretty sure you can afford it, right Scott?”

“Yeah!”

Liam found a can of coke, and one of Sprite and before Scott had time to offer Theo a drink, he pushed one of the cans into his hands. “Theo and I are drinking buddies tonight.”

Theo looked at him, for a second, before nodding. “Yeah. Liam gets to choose what I drink, and then I get to choose what he drinks.”

“Sounds fun!” Stiles said. “Anyone want to be drinking buddies with me?”

“I will.” Malia said, with a smile. “We are having a shot of tequila after this one.”

Stiles looked at her, mouth opened, taking in how she looked, and he simply nodded. “Yeah, I like this one.”

Scott looked around, and his eyes landed on Lydia, but she was quicker than him. “No, nope. I don’t trust any of you. I’ll be drinking champagne, and watching all of you making fools of yourselves.”

Scott looked like a kicked puppy, and he turned to Corey and Mason. “And I imagine you guys are doing it together?”

Mason smiled at that, his eyes a little too bright. “Yeah, we are definitely doing it together.”

A second passed, before everyone started laughing, even Scott. Malia finished her glass in a swift move, and then offered, “We could all be Scott’s drinking buddies. Like, one at a time, we choose what he drinks.”

A concert of voices answered her, and Liam used this moment to look at Theo, who was sipping on his coke, a bit tense, but clearly happy. He felt a warmth in his chest, and he understood what Theo had said the day before. 

Yes, this was worth it.

* * *

“Music! Music! Music!” Malia was chanting, in the back of the limo. Next to her, Stiles was trying to take a video, but Lydia kept switching off his phone. Liam had to give it to her, considering she had already had four glasses, she was still pretty sharp. Mason was whispering something into Corey’s ear, and Liam was glad he couldn’t hear it, because Corey’s cheeks became redder than his shirt.

“What do you want to listen to?” Theo asked, next to Liam, his arm close but still too far.

“Oh, I know the perfect song.” Stiles said, as he moved to put his phone on the little box. 

They all waited, as he selected the song, and when the first chords played, Liam couldn’t help but smile. 

“ _Open up the champagne, pop!_ ” Stiles sang, a little too loud. “ _It's my house, come on, turn it up!_ ”

“You know that one?” Theo asked Liam, and he thought about pretending not to, but there was a glimpse of amusement in his eyes, and he couldn’t deny it.

“ _Hear a knock on the door and the night begins...'Cause we've done this before so you come on in…_ ”

Theo smiled, and Liam should have probably paid attention to everyone else, but he knew they were already tipsy, so maybe they wouldn’t see the way he only had eyes for the guy next to him.

_Make yourself at my home, tell me where you been_

_Pour yourself something cold, baby, cheers to this_

Theo was mouthing the lyrics, and Liam was planning on mocking him endlessly for knowing this song by heart, but it was hard to find him silly when he looked like he did. Because even if Liam liked Theo in sweatpants, and comfy clothes, he definitely was into tonight’s black pants and white shirt. Not only did the shirt show the muscles he had been working on, but the contrast with his eyes was way too interesting. 

_Sometimes you gotta stay in_

_And you know where I live_

_Yeah, you know what we is_

_Sometimes you gotta stay in, in_

Liam had no idea what the others were doing around him, but he was pretty sure Theo was offering him the lyrics of the song. And it felt like, instead of being in a moving limo, they were somewhere safe, with only friends and people who cared about them.

_Welcome to my house_

_Baby take control now_

Okay, apparently, having Theo say the world _baby_ to him was an appropriate cause of death, because Liam was convinced his heart had stopped for a second there. 

_We can't even slow down_

_We don't have to go out_

The music stopped, and Liam was forced to look at Stiles, who was now checking his phone, under the “Boooooo” of the whole limo. 

“Sorry, sorry. Arf, it doesn’t work anymore.”

“But we have our own autoradio!” Lydia said, her smile genuine. She looked at Liam, and soon enough, everyone was staring at him. He felt himself blush.

“Guys, I can’t… I’m not….”

“Oh, Liam, come on!” Mason almost yelled. “How many times have you sung for me? In the car, and at home and… You know you love it.”

“But that was personal.” He tried. Unluckily, his eyes ended up on Scott’s face, who looked like a kicked puppy. “So… We are not personal enough?”

And how was someone supposed to refuse Scott? He had the best pleading eyes of all Hollywood. Liam sighed. “Okay, but I definitely need a backing track.”

“I can find that on google.” Theo said, opening his phone, and Liam looked at him, betrayed.

“ _Tu quoque?_ ”

Corey, Lydia and Theo laughed at that, and Liam felt proud of himself. Until he thought about the fact that he needed a song. He had some options he knew really well, and was sure to be able to perform, but the night was so special, and he still had the fuzzy feeling of Theo’s almost singing to him in his stomach, so he grabbed Theo’s phone, and quickly looked up the correct video.

Then, he breathed in and out, and cleared his throat.

“ _The sun goes down, the stars come out_ ”

The music was low, and he looked around him, but his eyes kept being attracted to Theo. Because he knew why he had chosen this song and he needed Theo to know it too.

“ _And all that counts, is here and now, my universe will never be the same_ ”

He forced himself to look at the rest of the cast who were mouthing the lyrics too.

“ _I'm glad you came_ ”

The music became louder, and Liam left his seat, to move around the limo bent in two. “You cast a spell on me, spell on me, you hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me.” He made sure to look at Theo for a few seconds, as the next lyrics went on. “And I decided you look well on me, well on me, so let's go somewhere no-one else can see, you and me?”

He saw the understanding in Theo’s eyes, but there was something else too, a pinch of hunger that did look good on the actor, as he was watching Liam deliver his lines. And it’s that look that haunted Liam as he kept singing the song.

* * *

At the entrance of the club, they were all given a small black bag to put their phones in. 

“If you take your phone out outside of your alcove, security will escort you. Same thing if you are caught trying to take a picture or a video of something happening anywhere else than your table.”

Liam and Mason knew the rules, and they were exactly why they had chosen the place. They were pretty sure the club was safe, and that no videos of their drunken friends would end up on the internet. 

Inside, there were a lot of people, which was normal for a Saturday. Still, Liam had booked a table, and they all sat around it, as the waiter came in. 

“I’ll take a bottle of Dom Perignon.” Lydia said, while looking around them. “Scott will have a Sex on the Beach.”

“No…” The actor said, but he smiled at his defeat. After the glass of champagne, the shot of tequila, the beer, and the vodka he had been offered, Liam didn’t want to know what could be happening in his stomach.

“I’ll drink the champagne.” Stiles said.

“No, you won’t. We are getting tequila.” Malia said. “So, uh, one, two… Oh, make it ten shots.”

People were talking animatedly around them, and Liam felt Theo’s hand next to his. He looked behind them, and as he was pretty sure the table would hide it, he linked their fingers as swiftly as possible.

“Can I have a Fresh Devotion Tonic?” He asked, before turning to Theo. “Theo will try that too.”

“What is it?” Scott asked, suddenly interested.

The waiter opened his mouth, but Liam was quicker. “Something really bitter.”

“What’s the alcohol in it?” Stiles wondered, and Liam felt his heartbeat a little too fast.

“Something they make here.” Mason said, and Liam looked at him, surprised. He feigned to be disgusted. “It’s really nasty. I threw up like crazy last time I ordered that. It messes with your stomach…”

Everyone made little noises, and went back to their orders, as Liam kept looking at Mason. It took his best friend a few seconds to look back, but he offered him a small smile. He would probably have to explain himself later on but he thanked his lucky stars for putting the guy on his road.

* * *

Three drinks and a few discussions later, Liam had been dragged to the dancefloor by Malia, who was moving really close to him, following the music with her body. He let himself forget about the place, and just enjoy the music. When he opened his eyes, he looked back at the table, where Theo and Corey seemed to be discussing something very important. Mason was between Stiles and Scott, in the least coordinated human sandwich Liam had ever seen, and he laughed out loud, his voice lost in the music of the place.

Malia turned to face him, her eyes full of questions, and he just shook his head. “I am gonna have a drink!” He yelled, and she just jumped onto the next guy, Liam already forgotten. He walked to the table, and sat on the other side of Theo.

“Having fun?” Corey asked.

“Yeah. Malia is crazy.” Liam answered. “Everything okay here?”

“Theo was telling me about your afternoon. So Lydia is a serial shopper? I should have known.” Corey sipped his whisky. “Hm, I should probably go rescue Mason. I’m afraid one of Stiles' elbows is going to hit his head and he could end up dead. Or something.”

“Just say you want to dance with him!” Theo called, and Corey didn’t hide his grin. “Yeah, I want to dance with my boyfriend. Any problem with that, Raeken?”

“None at all.” Theo said, and by the glance they exchanged, Liam understood he was missing part of the conversation. Still, he was quite happy to see Corey leave, and to find himself alone with Theo again.

“Hey.” He said, forced to speak louder than he would have wanted. “Are you okay?”

Liam asked the question, but he felt like he knew, deep inside, that things were good. He had learnt to read Theo, whether he wanted it or not, and there was something in the way his shoulders were relaxed, and his lips half opened, that was reassuring.

“I’m fine. Really fine.” Theo said, looking at the others on the dance floor. “It’s actually quite funny.”

“Funny?”

Theo nodded, and grabbed his glass. “Everyone is so loose. Corey is even funnier, he has no filter. The things he says… And then he keeps saying sorry with his English accent.”

“That sounds fun.” 

“Yeah. And I get to watch everyone… I would say dance but I’m not sure Scott isn’t actually performing a traditional pagan ritual right now. Look at his feet!”

And indeed, Scott was moving awkwardly, like he was trying to shoo a phantom away. Liam laughed, and without thinking, let himself fall against Theo’s side. He froze for a second, expecting Theo to at least move, to let more space between them, but he was surprised by warm arms closing around him.

He dived into the embrace, looking at the people on the dance floor. “How do you think they would react?”

“Hm?”

“The others. I mean, I’m pretty sure Corey knows, because Mason does. But Scott, and Malia and…”

“I don’t know.”

Theo stepped away, and Liam regretted it immediately. They looked at each other, and under the dimmed lights, it was hard to ignore how good he looked, and how Liam didn’t want to spend another second pretending it wasn’t the case. They were finally at the same place, at the same time, and he wanted to make the most out of it. And he didn’t only want Theo behind closed doors. He wanted him everywhere. He knew he couldn’t walk into the street with him, but he didn’t feel like hiding from their close friends anymore.

“Do they know… You like boys?” He asked Theo, still staring at the way his green eyes reflected the lights.

“I have no idea? It’s not like I try to hide it from them. I was mostly trying to be discreet for you.”

“You wouldn’t mind them knowing?”

“Liam, if them knowing means I get to not lie to them, then no, I don’t mind.” Theo bit his lips. “Do you?”

Liam looked at the group dancing again, and then at Theo. He tried to decide how much of a risk it could be. Having Mason know was one thing. Having a group of people he didn’t know two months earlier know was another level. But then, there was Theo, and they only had hours until he left again. It was really hard not to decide to forget about the outside world. 

Theo seemed to take his silence as an answer, and he moved to the side again, his jaw clenching. That didn’t help Liam, because the only thing he wanted to do was kiss away the sadness there.

“Stop looking like that.” He said, in a low voice, and Theo turned his head. “Looking like what.” 

“Like that. Do you have any idea? It’s already super hard to keep my hands to myself, but then you go on and look like that.”

Theo seemed hesitant. “What am I supposed to do not to look like that?”

Liam leaned his head to the side, his eyes still on Theo. “I don’t know. I think it’s a losing game. You will keep looking like that, and I will keep having these feelings.”

There was an ounce of surprise in Theo’s eyes, like he didn’t expect Liam to be so direct. “I don’t know what I can do for you?”

Liam faked a sigh. “I guess there is only one solution, isn’t there?”

Before Theo could answer, he closed the space between them, and kissed him at the corner of the lips. Theo moved his head, surprised, and Liam let his head fall into his neck, making himself at ease, as Theo let one of his arms fall around him. “Liam…”

“Hm?” He muttered, feeling the hot skin against his cheek, and moving only to have more of his chest against Theo’s side. “A problem, Theo?”

He didn’t get an answer right away. But Theo’s arm became stronger around him, and he felt a kiss on his forehead. “No. No problems.”

How was Liam supposed to say no to that?

* * *

Whatever Liam had feared people’s reaction would be, he was clearly underwhelmed. Lydia was the first one to come back at the table, and she took a quick glance at them, before sighing “I wish I had someone to cuddle with.”

“I can offer my services.” Stiles jumped in, taking the seat next to her, but she just ignored him. They ordered drinks again, and Stiles started talking about his current project, a short novel about crime, and supernatural. That seemed to interest Lydia, who listened to him, while sipping on her champagne.

The next one to come to the table was Scott, and clearly, he was the most inebriated of the bunch. He struggled to sit, and then, furrowed his brows while looking at Liam and Theo. 

“Why… What… Why are there four of you?”

Liam just laughed, and Malia arrived with a glass of water. “Please drink that. You really are going to hate yourself tomorrow if you don’t.”

Scott nodded, and drank the water before looking at her. “You know, I really think our scene was nice.”

“Which one?” 

“The one where we kissed. Wasn’t it like… Super romantic?”

She had to hide her smile. “Romantic?”

“Yeah you know, you are about to sacrifice yourself, and I finally tell you what I feel for you and…”

“Hold on, Scott.” Corey intervened, as he came back to the table. “Remember the part where you are not supposed to talk about the movie around people who are not the cast?”

Scott blinked, and looked around the table. “I don’t see… Oh, Liam! Hi!”

“Hi Scott.” He said, holding a laugh.

“Corey.” The actor said, looking at his co-star seriously. “I think we should get Liam a role in the movie.”

“Oh, we should?”

“Yeah, so we can talk about the scene in front of him! See! I have solutions!”

“You know, alcohol is technically a solution.” Mason said, his arms finding their place around Corey’s waist. 

“It is!” Scott said, happily. “So, we make Liam part of the movie and then…”

“There is still Mason.” Lydia said, raising her glass.

“Oh. Yeah. Uh. Oh, whatever, you know that Corey has probably told him everything right?”

“I would never!” Corey said, faking betrayal.

“You would. You are so in love with the guy it hurts.” Malia said, while downing another shot of tequila. 

“I…”

“You’re good, Corey.” Theo tried, but Scott was now eyeing him suspiciously.

“Theo! You didn’t tell Liam things about you-know-what?”

“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.”

“The movie. Does he know you are playing Wolve-”

“Scott!” Lydia and Corey both yelled, and Stiles was laughing so hard he was crying. “Don’t…”

“Too late.” Scott said with a smile. “Okay, so Theo is Logan, and Lydia is-”

“Shut up!” The girl said, clearly torn between laughing and getting very mad.

“You will tell me everything later, hm?” Liam asked, against Theo’s skin.

“Do I really have a choice?”

“No.”

The feeling of Theo’s chest shaking with laughter was now Liam’s favorite thing in the world.

* * *

They went dancing, the both of them, and then with the group. Drinks kept appearing, but everyone was too drunk to figure out that Theo and Liam were only drinking soda, and fruit juices. Everytime they came back to the table, Theo seemed less hesitant to just let himself be, and at the end of the night, they were almost laying on the seat, Liam now hugging Theo from behind.

“So… How did you think tonight went?” Liam asked, feeling the weariness slowly creep on him.

“Really, really good.”

When their friends came back, they all agreed it was time to leave, and Theo was the one who called the limo back. Scott was now so drunk he needed help to walk, and Lydia’s hair was messy like he had never seen it. They all took their phones back, and entered the limo, but the night had exhausted them and no one felt like dancing anymore.

“Really cool club, guys.” Corey said, and Liam smiled back. “Agreed.”

“Theo, do you need your room? Cause Scott is way too drunk and he is going to snore so…”

Liam turned to look at Theo, who looked at him with a satisfied smile. “Nah, I’m good. You can get my room.” 

They all spread out at the hotel, and Liam tried not to be hyper aware of the fact that Theo was following him. 

“Don’t you need to get your luggage?” He asked, and Theo bit his lips, escaping his eyes. “I don’t think so.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, but he let the both of them enter the room. He expected Theo to at least kiss him, but the actor went straight for the bathroom. “I’m all sweaty and sticky. Gonna take a shower.”

“Sure.” He said, before heading to the second bathroom. It was indeed a great idea, and he felt way better after. He grabbed one of the robes, ready to find something to wear in the room, but when he came in, the lights were out, with the exception of the bed lamp, and Theo was waiting, propped onto his elbow, his robe half-open, but not showing anything.

He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide open, as Theo just stretched a bit more. “I don’t have clothes.” The actor stated, and Liam’s brain seemed to fry for a second, watching the small patch of hair under his belly button. 

“You… You didn’t get your bag.”

“Silly me.”

Even though Theo’s voice was teasing, his eyes were hesitant. He was clearly waiting on Liam, and having such a power on someone was terrifying. Liam waited, his brain trying to figure out what he was supposed to do, but his eyes kept coming back on every inch of skin he could see, and he knew the answer even if he couldn’t say it out loud.

He felt a shiver, and he took a step towards the bed, his heart beating too fast. He could sense the growing need in his bones, the need for closeness, and touches, and things he had never expected to feel for Theo. 

He kept walking, until the idea that he wouldn’t probably end this with a few kisses hit him, and he froze for a second, looking at Theo again. There were many things that he should have thought of, but once again, the need to _feel_ was more intense than the rest, and before he knew it, he was swooping on the bed, to get closer and closer. He knew he might regret it in the morning, but there was no denying their chemistry, and honestly, Liam had never wanted someone so much.

He didn’t care how wrong it could go, or how many people were already speculating about their friendship. He only cared about the naked body in front of him, and Theo was certainly making sure he didn’t have time to think about anything else. If Liam was the force, Theo knew how to handle him, how to render him pleading, and how to leave him breathless. In exchange, Liam made sure Theo would remember his hands, his mouth, and the rest of his body for the weeks, and maybe months to come.

Later, he would think of this moment, and how it had changed everything. Because, in a dark hotel room, Liam became addicted to Theo Raeken.

**[(art here)](https://snaeken.tumblr.com/post/634985556231798784/art-piece-1-of-2-for-underthegallowwss-story) **

* * *

They slept way too late, but when Liam woke up, he didn’t feel as surprised as the day before. In fact, having Theo’s naked body next to him felt more like something he didn’t know he needed, like a lock had been opened and could never close again.

He was the first one to stir, and when he opened his eyes, Theo was still sleeping, one of his arms around the pillow, and his hand barely touching Liam’s arm. The light from outside was blinding, and Liam had to blink a few times. He remembered perfectly the night before, which was, for sure, one of the advantages of staying sober. He allowed himself to hide his face into his pillow, smiling, still a little surprised by what had happened.

His movements might have woken Theo up because he felt him move next to him. Liam tried to fake waking up at the same time, but he probably wasn’t really good at it, because he heard Theo laugh quietly.

“Were you watching me sleep? So creepy.”

“I was watching my pillow.”

“Sure.”

And arm made its way around his stomach, and Liam accepted the embrace. It was skin against skin, the warmth of the cover around them, and Theo’s lips against his ears. It was new, and just right. 

“So…” Theo whispered.

“Yeah.”

“No regrets?” 

Liam didn’t move, only pulling Theo’s hand against his lips, and kissing it gently.

“No.”

He felt Theo’s body relax against him. “Though I can’t believe you ambushed me like this.”

Theo laughed again. “Well, I didn’t plan to. But I spent a whole night looking at you, and being with you, and it was kind of hard not wanting more.”

“Do you often wait naked in people’s beds?”

“No. That’s only for Charming.”

After a full second of thinking, Liam answered, low. 

“Good.”

* * *

The others had the decency not to comment on what they had seen the day before, when Theo and Liam joined them for breakfast. Stiles was facing a full plate of pancakes, and Scott was leaning on the table, his face too white.

“I’m never drinking again.”

“Sure buddy.” Stiles said. “Slept well?”

“Yeah.” Liam said. “Can’t believe it’s already two o’clock.”

“We have to leave soon.” Lydia commented, checking her phone. She looked just like any other day, and if he hadn’t seen it, Liam wouldn’t have believed she had been drunk the day before.

“Gotta eat first.” Theo sat at the table, and grabbed some toast. “Scott, do you need Tylenol?”

“I took some. Doesn’t seem… To be working.” Scott sighed, before looking around the table. “I don’t remember… Where I slept?”

Malia took a bite of the bacon she was eating. “With me.”

There was a silence around the table, before she added “... We just slept. You wanted to explain to me how giraffe babies are so cool, and then you face planted into my bed.”

Everyone laughed, except Scott, who tried to cover his ears. “Shush! The noise is making it worse.”

Liam looked at Mason, who was eyeing him with a smirk. At the same time, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked it quickly.

_SO?? -Mason_

_:) -Liam_

* * *

Watching Theo go, after the weekend they just had, had a bittersweet aftertaste to Liam. On one hand, he knew they were stronger now, and he felt more at ease with their relationship. But on the other hand, it hurt. He didn’t expect it to be so hard, watching Theo leave the hotel room, and not being able to see him off at the airport. According to Mason, Liam looked way too enamoured to be seen anywhere near him, and he understood, as he found it hard not to fall in the casual touches they had exchanged all weekend.

He waited on the bed, looking around him, trying to find proof of what had happened. The hotel room felt bare, without Theo. He wasn’t so badly into him that he would smell the pillows, but he wondered why he hadn’t tried to steal one of his hoodies. Maybe Mason was right. Maybe Liam needed some space to think, because he had no memories of falling so hard for someone.

_At the airport rn. Mason and Corey are having the most dramatic goodbye ever. -Theo_ _  
_ _*Picture : Mason hugging Corey, and Corey trying to hide his tears.*_

_I’m sure we could have upped them. -Liam_

_Oh? -Theo_

_What did you have in mind? -Theo_

_You know, the usual. You taking a plane, and at the last minute, me running in and professing that I can’t let you go. -Liam_

_The usual… -Theo_

_I’m sure all those people would have ended up clapping. That is, after I tell you I reciprocate and agree to stay here, under the sun. -Theo_

_Sounds like a really good movie. -Liam_

_It does. -Theo_

_Getting on the plane now, have to switch off, bla bla bla. See you on the other side. -Theo_

Liam looked at his screen, and smiled. 

* * *

The notification for the newest post on Theo’s instagram page came later that day. Liam opened it, while taking a spoonful of yoghurt. And then, he had to check twice the name under the picture. Because, if it was a picture of Theo, there was something totally new on the page.

Theo was sitting on black stairs, where white paint seemed to have been spilled. But the most intriguing part of the post was Theo. Because, for once, there was color. Colours, even, as Theo smiled at the camera, his eyes shining, a cap on his head. It was finally a real picture, with a Theo that Liam recognized. He smiled, double tapping on it, before he read the caption.

_Maybe everything isn't so black and white anymore._

Liam stared at the words, and then at the picture, before opening his texts.

_Love the new post. -Liam_

_Figured it was time for something new. -Theo_

<3 -Liam

  
[ **(art here)** ](https://snaeken.tumblr.com/post/634985560407212032/art-piece-2-of-2-for-underthegallowwss-story)   
  


* * *

_Okay, I need you to tell me something funny because I am so close to blowing up. -Theo_

_What?? -Liam_

_What happened? -Liam_

_Otters hold hands when they sleep, so they don’t drift. -Liam_

_Just reshooting the same scene for the fifth time cause apparently Corey’s accent is too strong. -Theo_

_So your first idea when I ask something funny is to tell me about otters? -Theo_

_I PANICKED -Liam_

_I’m sure you look super cute. -Theo_

_All blushing. -Theo_

_Do you have a secret camera here? STOP WATCHING ME IT’S CREEPY. -Liam_

_I don’t. I can just picture you. -Theo_ _  
_ _What about you? Your day? -Theo_

_Had a shoot for GQ, spent half the time trying to hide my nipples. -Liam_

_Why? -Theo_

_It’s private! I was waiting under the lights, and there were so many people around me, and they put some oil on me, it was super creepy. -Liam_

_I don’t like my body being all over the place. -Liam_

_Also, Erica is going to shoot down the shirtless pictures for sure, so it was kinda for nothing. -Liam_

_Would be a shame to just delete them though … May I have the pictures? -Theo_

_Stop it. -Liam_

_What?? -Theo_ _  
_ _I’m sorry if I think you look good. -Theo_

_And not only look. -Theo_

_Says the guy who has the body for a suit that shows everything. -Liam_

_I worked hard for this bod. -Theo_

_You sound like a jock. -Liam_

_Let me finish. Doesn’t change the fact that you are really, really good looking. -Theo_

_Yeah? Thanks. -Liam_

_YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SAY YOU TOO -Theo_

_Well… I thought I had shown you how great I find you. -Liam_

_  
_ _What if I need a reminder? -Theo_

_And by reminder, I mean, I might need you around me soon. -Theo_

_Why? -Liam_

_Because I want it? -Theo_

_It’s getting really hard not to think about the weekend, and everything that happened. -Theo_

_Same -Liam_

_I might find a way to come to you? -Liam_

_Please do. -Theo_

_Also, I’m waiting for the nipple pictures. -Theo_

_I hate you -Liam_

_You don’t. -Theo_

  
  


* * *

Liam looked around him, and wondered why, for once, he didn’t feel completely comfortable there. Erica’s office was big, with white walls covered with pictures from Disney Channel stars. And herself, obviously. The window offered a stunning view of the city, and Liam looked at it, waiting for his agent.

“Sorry, sorry.” Erica finally said, coming in. She got rid of her jacket, and let her hair fall around her face. “I was at a meeting and there is a roadblock on the thirty sixth.”

“No worries. Isaac took care of me.” Liam answered, showing her the cup of coffee. 

“Good. I’m glad.” She finally sat on her chair, and sighed. “So, how are you?”

“I’m fine.” He answered honestly. “I’m better.”

She looked at him for a few seconds, her smile not reaching her eyes. “It’s always nice to hear that. What’s new?”

“Nothing much. Been spending time with the X-Men cast, but I think you know that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“It’s nice to be around new people.” 

“I’m sure it is.”

“And, eh, I’ve been doing all the things you asked for? You know, reading the manuscripts, training, the photo-shoot.”

“Ah, yes, the photo-shoot. What the heck happened there? They sent me the pictures for validation and you are naked in almost half of them.”

“Not naked. Shirtless.”

“Well, you have thirteen year-old fans, Liam. You can’t be seen shirtless.”

He didn’t even try to convince her of the contrary. Instead, he nodded. “Okay.”

“Some of them are really good though. They will do a short interview with you next week. I will send you the questions, and the answers, once I’ve vetoed them.”

“Sure.”

She looked at him, her perfect eyebrows slowly furrowing.

“Liam?”

“Yes?”

“Are you still mad at me for the texts I sent you?”

And honestly? Yes, Liam was still holding a grudge. It was hard not to. He remembered how he had talked to Theo, and what he had said about Disney. Liam had always done what he had been asked for, so why did Erica try to make his life harder.

“You are not answering.” She said, before he could find a way to explain. “Okay, I get it. Time to put everything on the table. I’ll start.”

She crossed her legs, and fell into her office chair a bit more.

“I know it’s been a really hard time for you. And I know that I’ve asked a lot from you too. I was really trying to help you make the best decisions, because I knew you could lose everything in this.”

“I…” He tried, but she shushed him.

“You will have your time to speak. Now is mine. I know I can be a bitch, and I don’t try to ask nicely when I want something done. Or not done. But I really want you to know that I had, and have, the best intentions. I was a Disney star too, Liam. I know everything there is to know about this universe. And I want to protect you, protect your career. So when something as big as the Hayden situation happens, my first thought is about you. And sometimes, it’s hard to choose if I should take care of you first, or make sure you don’t lose your career. But you have always been strong, and brave, so I might have forgotten to be there for you, as a human, sometimes. I’m sorry for that.”

She looked earnest, and her voice was nothing like it was when she was negotiating. Liam looked into her eyes, and he saw that she was really trying.

“I also know I have not been the best with the X-Men situation. Because it’s a situation now. There are articles, and people talking about it, and thankfully, it has become really good publicity for you. The fact that Theo and you are seen as friends now, it makes your explanation about Hayden more real to them. Because why would you hang with the guy that shagged your girlfriend? So, yeah, I didn’t see it that way at first, because I thought it was going to be gasoline to the fire, but it’s a good surprise. And if I had any idea it could have gone that way, I would never have tried to keep you from it.”

She breathed, and Liam blinked, his chest slowly becoming warmer. This was the Erica he knew, the one who had been with him since the beginning. The one he trusted. That was what others didn’t see, he decided. They didn’t see how much Erica cared, and how she was trying to do what was the best for him.

“So, I’m sorry for that too. Because I can see, I’m not that blind, that it’s helping you. You look way happier, and even though you are still a little shit, you are good. And I want you to be. Good.”

Liam waited, until he was sure she was done, before he offered her an honest smile.

“Thanks.” He thought about everything that had happened in a few weeks, and he knew he had to make things right with her. “I have to apologize too. I made decisions without talking to you first, and it could have gone really wrong. I should have listened to your advice, and try to find a solution with you. Also, I shouldn’t have sent you that text.”

She nodded. “Apology accepted. So… Back to business. I am very happy to report you are in line for a future Disney Channel show. It’s not official yet, but I’ve got great hopes for it.”

“Yeah?” He said, not really ready to believe it.

“Yes. I’m working really hard on convincing them that you have a great following, and that your image is not tainted by what happened, but I have to say the amount of articles about you being seen with people like Scott McCall and Corey Bryant is helping.”

“Oh.” Liam didn’t really expect that. “That’s… Good?”

“Yes. So keep it up.”

That was his chance, and he wasn’t about to waste it.

“Well, they won’t come back here for some time, but I thought… Maybe I could go to Toronto again?”

Erica stared at him, her brain clearly at work. “Go on.”

“Just a weekend. One of them coming to get me at the airport, pictures, some Instagram posts…”

“I like the way you think. Yes, that would be a great idea. But remember, Liam. Only good things, alright? If you get shit-faced…”

“Not gonna happen.”

“If you do, just make sure it’s behind closed doors and away from phones.”

“I don’t plan to.” He answered, honestly. “I’ll ask Theo to come get me.”

“Perfect. Don’t overdo it in the media, okay? It should look genuine.”

Liam had to hide his smile. 

* * *

Theo was waiting at the gates when Liam finally found his luggage. It was new, not trying to hide who he was, and there were a few people who came to ask him for pictures, or autographs, but his whole mind was focused on the person who was now a few steps from him. And when he finally passed the doors, he could see Theo, leaning on a wall, smiling. 

It took all of Liam’s control not to run, and he had to repeat to himself that there were people watching. Taking pictures. Videos, maybe.

“Hey.” He said, smiling at the actor who had sunglasses on. 

“Hey.” Theo answered, his voice a little rough. “Should we go?”

“Yep.”

Theo grabbed his luggage before Liam had time to react, and they exited the airport quickly, entering a car that was waiting for them. They shut the separation between the driver and them, and finally, Theo grabbed his face, kissing him gently.

“Hi.” He said, getting rid of the glasses, and smiling. “That was freaking hard.”

Liam couldn’t help but smile. His eyes on Theo, his hand slowly making its way on his thigh, it felt like the time away hadn’t changed a thing. 

“It was. I couldn’t say anything because…”

“Videos.” Theo said, before taking his hand. “I know.”

“Where are we going?”

“We are making an appearance at a concert, and then, the hotel.”

“Do we have to go to the concert?” Liam asked, suddenly way more interested by the way Theo’s fingers made their way under his shirt. He felt a kiss on his temple.

“I’m afraid we do.” Theo sounded as interested in the event as him. “It’s Fort Minor”.

“I like them.” Liam said, before kissing Theo, slowly, rediscovering the feeling. “But I think I like you better.”

Theo laughed at that. “I surely hope so.”

“So, concert?”

“Concert, and then hotel.”

“You’re not even going to take me to dinner?”

Theo raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, trust me, there will be a lot of tasty things on the menu.”

Liam pretended to be shocked, before hiding his laughter in Theo’s shoulder. He felt the arms closing around him, and breathed for a while, taking in how he had missed the closeness, and the way Theo’s body seemed to always agree with his.

“You’re trouble.” He finally said, as Theo’s fingers creeped against his neck. “I have no idea why I like you.”

“I have no idea why you like me either.”

It took a few seconds for Liam to understand that Theo’s voice had suddenly changed. He wasn’t playing anymore, there was a truthfulness in what he had just said. Liam forced himself to push him a little, making room for his head to face Theo’s. 

“What?”

“I’m just saying. Charming and I. What a duo we make.”

“You’re…”

Theo sighed.

“Can we go on to just kissing?”

“Nope.” Liam said, putting more space between them. “Seriously, Theo?”

“I was kidding.”

“You were not.”

“I might have been.”

“No.”

“Liam. Let it go.”

“No! You seriously have to stop thinking like this.”

Theo looked at him, clearly confused. “Like what?”

“Like you are someone who shouldn’t be appreciated. Like what you did makes you a bad person.”

“That’s the textbook definition of a bad person, Liam. A bad person is someone who does bad things.”

Liam had to give him that one. “Okay, so what is a good person?”

Theo opened his mouth, before closing it. If he was trying to find something witty, he didn’t find it. “I guess… It’s someone who does good things.”

“And what would you call all the times you were there for me? The times you made me laugh? Huh? The time you told me everything I had to know about you.”

“That’s different. I was offering you a way out.”

“That’s…” Liam suddenly remembered the conversation, and now that Theo was telling him, it finally made sense. He punched him in the arm, a little too hard.

“You fucker!”

“What?!”

“Were you trying to drive me away?”

“No? I just didn’t want you to get into something you didn’t want.”

“But you know it didn’t change a thing, right? I don’t care about all of this.”

“Maybe you should.”

Liam shook his head. “What the fuck happened to you? I mean, not your life, but the last few days. Last time we talked, you didn’t...? What happened Theo?”

Theo had mirrored Liam, and was now closer to the window. He seemed a bit confused by the conversation. “I don’t know… I just thought…”

“Well, something happened. Find it.” Liam felt the anger in his veins, and he didn’t like it. It was not anger at Theo, but more at the situation. He had waited so long to be able to come, and to enjoy the moment, only to be met with another conversation about how Theo was not someone he should enjoy the company of. “Theo…” He warned, and he could see how the other actor was slowly panicking.

“I don’t know! I just… You said that, and I answered, I didn’t want to…”

“Answer me honestly then. When I told you that I was coming, how did you feel?”

Theo seemed to hesitate, and it was enough for Liam. “Okay. Just… Just ask the driver to get me back to the airport.”

“What? No.”

“Theo, I came here to have a good time. I came here because I do like you. I am not staying if all you are thinking about is that this is wrong.”

“I’m not…”

“Then tell me!” Liam said, too strongly, and the look of fear in Theo’s eyes crashed into his heart. He felt his eyes becoming bigger, as the realization of his own behavior started to bloom.

Theo was still looking at him, and the only thing he answered was a whispered “Sorry” that ended Liam’s fit.

Liam looked at his own hands, which were shaking, and he could feel the warmth on his face.

“Oh my god, Theo…”

“I told you I am sorry, Liam. Please.”

“I…”

He closed his eyes, trying to breathe again, but he couldn’t believe how easy he had fallen back in his old behaviour. When he finally looked at Theo again, the only thing he could see was the hesitation on his face.

“So… Do you want to go back to the airport?” Theo asked, defeated. 

Liam shook his head, swallowing, and trying to find a way to explain. But the only thing he could do was offer his hand to Theo, who looked at it with uncertainty. 

“Theo.” He said, his voice rough, and Theo linked their fingers, still trying to figure out what had just happened. Liam moved slowly, offering him a chance to escape him, but Theo seemed to accept the embrace that was offered to him.

“Never. Ever. Ever. Let me talk to you like that.” Liam whispered, in his ear, and he felt Theo moved against him. “That was… I am sorry. Really. I have this thing, this anger thing. I am usually way better with it, but you kind of break all my barriers, and I didn’t think…”

“It’s okay.” Theo said, but Liam just hugged him a little bit harder.

“No, it’s not. Nobody should ever talk to you like that. No matter what you think of yourself. You deserve better than that.”

Theo didn’t answer, but the way he finally hugged back probably meant that Liam had made his point. He closed his eyes, and added “See? We are all a little broken. What matters is what we make of it.”

* * *

They ended up asking the driver to find a way to make the road longer, and Theo fell into Liam’s lap as he was playing with the actor’s hair.

“I had some hard scenes this week.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You know, Wolverine’s brother.”

Liam, who has rewatched all the movies since the first day he had spent on set, knew exactly what they were talking about.

“Some nasty things said?”

“Yep.”

It was easy to see why it had mattered to Theo.

“You thought about Tara, didn’t you?”

“... All the time.”

Liam just closed his arms around the body against him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“Well, I am.”

“It’s just… One memory led to another.”

“That’s often the case.”

“And I kept thinking about that mess and…”

“And you got lost in your head.”

Theo didn’t answer, just shrugging. Liam sighed. “Okay. That happens. But you could have told me. I’m here. I know I’m not physically here all the time, but that’s what I am for. You don’t have to pretend everything is perfect. Not to me. Just, tell me next time? And we’ll talk about it.”

“Okay.” Theo said, but he didn’t sound convinced.

“Theo. I’m here, and not ready to leave. You better get used to sharing these things. I am not going anywhere. I promise.” It sounded like the truth, because Liam had no idea what the future was made of, but he knew Theo had to be a part of it.

“That’s a pretty big thing to promise.” Theo whispered, but something in his voice told Liam he was, this time, believing it.

* * *

“Do you sometimes wonder what you would do if you weren’t famous?” Theo asked, his head against the pillow. The hotel room was fastuous, but they didn’t really care for the decor. The first thing they had taken care of was to spend some quality time together. And now, Liam was sleepy, but Theo seemed to want to talk.

“Not really. Maybe I would be in college,” he answered, hiding a yawn against Theo’s shoulder.

“Yeah, college.. Wasn’t there a way for Disney to let you attend?” He seemed genuinely interested in the conversation, and Liam tried to remember the conversation he had with Erica about the subject. 

“There was a way. Online classes, special exams. But I didn’t feel like doing it. Not this way. I mean, what’s the point of college if you just study alone, at home?”

“Point taken,” Theo said, before moving a little to adjust his grip on Liam’s hand. He started playing with his fingers, humming a song. 

“What about you?” Liam asked, his eyes closing despite his best efforts.

“Never really was a good student. Also, the network didn’t really have the options you had.”

“What would you have studied?”

Theo took his time, still caressing Liam’s hands, like he was trying to memorize every single detail of them.

“I don’t know. Something medical, I guess. I was always interested in that. Or politics.” 

Liam laughed, his body vibrating against Theo.

“What?” The actor asked, suddenly tense.

“Politics? You and politics? You would be the worst, Theo.”

“I’ll let you know I’m pretty good with people.”

“You’re pretty good at antagonizing people.”

“That’s still a reaction. Also, you know I can charm anyone in the first five minutes of conversation.”

Liam smiled, and shook his head.

“I’m sorry but that’s so wrong. After five minutes talking to you, I wanted to punch you in the face.”

Theo smiled at him, before whispering, “And now?”

Liam preferred actions to words, he decided.

* * *

_I miss you. -Theo_

_I should probably tell you it’s been less than 48 hours, but… I miss you too. -Liam_

_I feel like it’s getting harder everytime. -Theo_

_Yeah, there is something else getting harder… -Liam_

_Are you trying to sext me ?? YOU ? -Theo_

_I AM DOING MY BEST -Liam_

_T’was cute. -Theo_

_I don’t want to be cute :( -Liam_

_You can be cute and sexy you know ? -Theo_

_Hm, that I could do. -Liam_

_So, I came to you… When are you coming to me ?_

_If I was a responsible person, I would probably tell you in a few weeks. -Theo_ _  
_ _But I think we have established I am not. -Theo_

_I took my tickets for Saturday. -Theo_

_Never, ever, become a responsible person. -Liam_

_You’re just into bad boys. -Theo_

_I am just into you. -Liam_

* * *

@LiamDunbar

_Your song - 4:10_

_Happy Pride Week you guys ! You are valid, and I love you._

And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple but now that it's done

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind

That I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world

* * *

**@TheTheoRae** : Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen #HappyPrideWeek

* * *

**Tumblr : theoraekennotofficial**

Okay but Liam and Theo coordinating their posts for PrideWeek is just making me have a lot of feelings !!!

**Tumblr : youknowyouwantitasmuchasido**

I wish I had a girlfriend as sweet as Theo is to liam. Or Liam to Theo. I don’t care. I want a relationship like that.

* * *

Liam didn’t have to hide, as he waited for Theo to pass the gates. He didn’t look in the direction of the paparazzo that was shooting him, only smiling when he saw Theo sporting shorts and a t-shirt. After some small talk, they left in the car, and Theo looked at him.

“So… Did you plan something special?”

“Maybe. Hard to do better than that concert though.”

Theo laughed, looking by the window. “God, I’m so happy to be somewhere I can see the sun.”

“Nice to know you came for the weather and not the super nice actor next to you.” Liam tried to sound offended, but he didn’t succeed. Theo looked at him, and then at the driver. This time, there was no way to hide. Still, he reached for Liam’s hand, and hid their laced fingers against his thigh.

“I promise I didn’t come for the beaches.” He said, before smiling even more. It was hard to look somewhere else, Liam found out, because Theo’s eyes were so different from the screen. So much more alive. 

“I…” He looked at the driver, and sighed. “Okay. I just thought it would be cool to bring you to Disney.”

“Disney? Disneyland?” Theo asked, surprised.

“No, Disney, the place where I shot for years. I can still go anytime I want, and they are shooting one of the original movies.”

“Is it Erica’s idea?” Theo asked, suddenly serious.

“Kinda? She offered it.”

“I see.” 

“Is there a problem?” Liam asked, trying to understand the sudden change of mood.

“No. No, there is no problem. I’ll definitely visit with you.”

“If you don’t want to…”

“I want to.”

Still, Liam felt like Theo kept to himself, as they walked the numerous sets, and said hello to the actors. They took some pictures, and posted them on Instagram, until they could both find some quiet in an empty classroom set. Liam looked around him, and smiled. “I shot one of my first scenes here.”

“For The Apprentice?”

“Yes. I was so young. I had no idea. I just wanted to sing, and act. It was kind of hard in the beginning, but I had the best time. Though, as years went by, and the show became well-known, the atmosphere around here changed.”

There was no one around, and Theo guided him to the wall, making a cage of his body.

“How so?”

Liam didn’t answer, just raising his head to kiss him, and he appreciated the moment. It started slow, and careful, until the fact that they hadn’t seen each other for a week made them a little more invested. Liam quickly thought that the set had probably never seen any kisses like that, and probably would never. Because the way Theo’s hands slowly made their way between his shirt and his skin, and the way he kept biting Theo’s lips to get him to be less careful probably wasn’t PG.

They kissed for a while, but they both knew it wasn’t the place for more, so they ended up sitting on the floor, looking at the empty board.

“I liked it when it started. And I liked it when we all became famous. But then, the expectations became… A lot.”

“I can imagine.”

“And then I shot Augustus, and met Hayden, and yeah… It’s weird to remember it all started here in a way.”

“But you like it, right?” Theo asked.

“Like it?”

“Disney.”

“Oh, yeah. I do.”

“Any news on the new project Erica wants you in?”

“No, nothing yet, but she seems hopeful.”

“Good.” Theo said, but didn’t elaborate. Liam looked at him. 

“You don’t like Disney.”

The actor sighed. “It’s not that I don’t like the channel, Liam. I just… Clearly, there is a lot of pressure on you. And I wish you would be more free. You deserve not to have to think about this all the time.”

“I am free. I am with you.” Liam countered, taking Theo’s hand.

“Yeah. You are with me because Erica okayed it. Who is making choices, Liam? You, or Erica?”

“Me.”

“Okay.”

“You don’t believe me.”

Theo didn’t let go of Liam’s hand. Instead, he turned to face him. “I do believe you think that. I just see things around you. People. And I am worried. Because I am not sure all these people have your best intention at heart.”

“And you do?” Liam asked, half-mockingly. “We both know you are into me because of my super sexy body. And everything it can do.”

Theo smiled at that, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, the sex is great.”

There was a long silence, and Liam was about to offer for them to leave, when Theo seemed to reach a conclusion in his thoughts. He turned to face him, and his face was determined.

“Look, I am only going to say this once. I care about you. And you should care more about yourself than about the rest. Ask yourself that question. Who would these people choose, if given the choice? You? Or money? You, or fame?”

“What do you mean?” Liam asked, a bit taken aback.

“I mean… I mean that given that choice, I would choose you. And you should do the same.”

* * *

They didn’t talk more about it, instead joining Mason for dinner at a great Japanese restaurant that Liam liked. The conversation was easy, and Mason was great with Theo, asking questions, and telling stories about Liam. They laughed, and talked, and even without being able to really dive into Theo’s touch, Liam felt at ease. Being next to Theo seemed to calm the rush of emotions and anguish that he felt on a daily basis.

The car didn’t take them to a hotel, but to Liam’s apartment. It had been his choice, a part of him willing to take this relationship out of hotel rooms, and into his real life. It wasn’t a big place, but it was neat, and Theo looked around with interest. He grabbed one of the few pictures around.

“Your mom?”

Liam smiled at the selfie he had taken a few years ago with his mother. “Yes. She lives on the other side of the state. She came here with me when I was younger, but she never really liked it. Once I became independent, she went back to her home.”

“She seems really nice.”

“She is. We facetime every week. She is really supportive. She…” Liam stopped himself before he could say _she would like you_. Because he still hadn’t talked about any of this with her. Keeping his mother in the dark wasn’t a good feeling, but he was saved from it by Theo’s voice.

“I’m glad.” Theo said, putting back the picture. “Oh, is that Mason?”

Liam laughed. “Yeah. We were thirteen when we met. He was with Erica too. Disney was looking for young black boys because times were changing.”

Theo furrowed his brows. “But Mason never…”

“No. He got a model gig, and he really liked it. His mother didn’t mind.”

“That’s really cool.”

“Yeah.”

Liam had never thought that opening his door to Theo would mean offering him an opportunity to discover more about his life, and who he was. But looking at the actor, at the way he seemed to take everything in, this was a good decision. Theo fitted, he decided.

And in a way, it made things even more difficult. Because for every way Theo found his place around Liam, there were a thousand reasons he should try to stop it. 

But there was no way to deny it, as they talked some more, sharing some candy while watching the TV. No way to ignore how it felt when he was naked, his eyes on Theo as he slowly made his way down his body, as Liam was laying in his own bed. No way to pretend, when the only words he was able to mutter were _more_ , _yes_ , and _god._

Oh, and _Theo._

* * *

**Tumblr : @ishipitshohardbirdscantflystraight**

Am I the only one who think Liam and Theo are like super not friendly ??? Look at Liam in the buzzfeed article he is so into Theo ? And which kind of friends come see each other every weekend ???

**Tumblr : @gayerasureisnotcool**

Media seeing Liam Dunbar and Theo Raeken together all the time and calling it a bromance = GAY ERASURE / BI ERASURE

  
  


* * *

_link : We are in love with Liam Dunbar and Theo Raeken broship (Buzzfeed) -Liam_

_Broship. -Theo_

_Hey bro. Like me bro ? -Liam_

_Yeah, bro. Totally like you. -Theo_

_Also you are totally doing heart eyes to me in that airport picture. -Theo_

_I’m a good actor. -Liam_

_Sure. Whatevah, bro. -Theo_

* * *

**@LiamDunbar :** Hey @TheTheoRae, bro. We should do bro things soon. 

**- > @TheTheoRae** : Yes, bro. Great idea, bro.

 **\-- > @MasonHewitt** : Two bros chilling in the bathtub

 **\--- > @ScottMcCall** : Wasn’t it a jacuzzi ??

 **\---- > @MaliaTate** : Scott, you broke the mood, bro.

* * *

“I’m so fucking tired.” Theo said, falling on the bed, holding his phone in front of him. Liam smiled at the view.

“You should go to sleep.”

“But…” Theo looked almost sad, worrying his lips with his teeths. “We haven’t spoken in two days. Two days, Li.”

“And I’ll still be there tomorrow.”

“Still. I don’t want to hang up.”

There was something so intimate in seeing Theo like this, openly admitting that he wanted more time with Liam, and offering him a perfect view of his hotel bed. Liam bit his lips, feeling a pang of need. The long-distance was definitely harder than he thought.

“We don’t have to hang up. But you definitely need to sleep. So I can just ramble, and you can fall asleep.”

“You’d do that ?” Theo asked, yawning, trying to find a better position.

“Sure. I am very good at rambling.”

“That you are.” Theo sighed, blinking softly. “You’re good at a lot of things.”

“Am I ?” Liam asked, amused.

“Yeah.” Theo sounded almost out of it, his eyelids heavier by the second. “Talking. Kissing. Laughing. I love your laugh. So nice… Oh, singing too.”

“Glad you like me.”

“I do like you.” Theo yawned again. “You know, you could like… Sing me to sleep ?”

Liam laughed. “I don’t do those kind of things. “

“A pity, really. What’s the point in dating a singer…” Theo stopped himself, blinking more steadily. “Oh, I didn’t want to... “

Liam tried to calm himself, remembering that Theo was probably just so tired that he didn’t have a filter anymore. “It’s okay”, he whispered, “you are tired”.

Theo seemed to hesitate. “That I am.” He said, finally. “Okay, ramble then. But one day, you’ll sing to me. I am sure of it.”

Liam smiled, and laid on the mattress, still looking at his screen. “Hey, Theo ?”

“Hm ?”

“What would you want me to sing ?”

“Anything. Anything you want.”

Liam didn’t answer right away. He stared at Theo, who was already almost asleep. It was hard to refuse him anything when he looked so soft.

“ _We keep behind closed doors, every time I see you, I die a little more, stolen moments that we steal as the curtain falls, it'll never be enough…_ ”

He saw the way Theo relaxed, and the way he seemed to find comfort in the song. So Liam kept singing. Even after he was sure Theo was sleeping. He offered the lyrics to himself, because he needed them. He needed the words to explain to his own mind the incredible thing he was going through.

_Why can't I hold you in the street?_

_Why can't I kiss you on the dance floor?_

_I wish that it could be like that_

_Why can't it be like that? 'Cause I'm yours_

_Why can't I say that I'm … like that?_

_I wanna shout it from the rooftops_

_I wish that it could be like that_

_Why can't it be like that? 'Cause I'm yours_

  
  


* * *

**@TheTheoRae** : Cause I'm yours, I'm yours 

**- > @LiamDunbar** : Calm down Jason Mraz

  
  



	4. The Crisis

_ I have an urgent meeting with Erica -Liam _

_ Oh. Is that good or bad ?? -Theo _

_ No idea ? -Liam _

_ Did we do anything ? Did you do anything ? -Liam _

_ Not that I know of ? -Theo _

_ Okay. Well, i will tell you. -Liam _

* * *

  
  


“So… What do you think?” Erica asked, a smile in her voice.

Liam was looking at the script, reading the outline of the story. He tried to figure out where his character was going, exactly. He didn’t feel like the person who had written the story really cared about that.

“It’s… Very Disney Channel.”

His agent raised her eyebrows, but sat in front of him.

“It’s going to be a massive hit. This is what you need, Liam. Some work, people talking about you…”

“So Chad is… In love with Karmen? But he kisses Nadya?”

“That’s not what’s important here. What’s important is that Disney wants you. You, Liam. Finally. After all we’ve been through…” She sighed, and he noticed how she always used “we” or “us” when talking about his career. “This could be the perfect way to come back.”

“Erica…” he tried, but she reached for the script, and flipped a few pages. 

“Here, see. Chad sings. The song is awesome. I heard the demo, you’re going to love it.”

“It’s a song about homework. I’m twenty-one, Erica.”

“And you’re at your prime, perfectly ready to play teenage boys in this kind of show. What’s wrong with you Liam? We waited for months for an opportunity and…”

“I’ve been writing songs,” he blurted out, and she looked at him like he was insane. ”I’ve been writing, and composing and…”

“That’s okay. You’ll have plenty of time for your hobbies. You’ll even be able to keep your singing sessions on Instagram. I talked to the producers about it and they think it could get you some great press. They might want to have a say in your choice of songs but…”

“What? Erica. These sessions are my thing. I don’t want to have to listen to anyone about it.”

She looked at him, mouth half open, before her work face appeared again. 

“I don’t know what’s going on with you right now, but you seriously need to get a grip on it Liam. I know it’s been a hard year, and I know you’re tired, but I just offered you the chance of a lifetime, and you’re acting like a child.”

He knew she was partially right. This show would probably be watched by millions of children. Knowing Disney, they could be filming for years. Doing press, maybe even some concerts, as there were songs in it.

Years. Years playing a teenager, years acting like an idiot for the camera, because it would make people laugh, and they would want more. Years of pretending he was interested in his love interest, even though he would never go the Hayden route again. Years back in Disney’s hands, with no say about his own story, having to obey rules that don’t make sense. Controlled public appearances, scripted interviews.

He was already tired thinking about it.

“I just wanted to sing,” he whispered, looking at the brand new script. “Maybe do an album. Even just an EP.”

Erica opened her bag, and fished out a pile of official documents. With a smile, she pointed at one of the lines.

“Look at that salary, Liam. With that money, you could start recording. With that money, you could produce your first album. Isn’t it worth it? It’s just a couple of years.”

He didn’t answer. Disney had stolen his teenage years, and now it was about to ruin his young adult life. He thought about Theo, and about how free he was. He was one hundred percent sure the other actor would have never accepted that deal. 

But Liam wasn’t Theo, and Erica was right. He needed the money. The money could mean freedom, and liberty, and doing whatever he wanted. Slowly, he nodded, as Erica graced him with a happy laugh.

Liam didn’t feel like laughing.

  
  


* * *

Liam knew he had to deliver the news to Theo. He did. And maybe, just maybe, he happened to have things to do that day, and couldn’t do it immediately. But after cleaning his whole apartment, and changing his bedding, he knew he couldn’t postpone anymore.

He checked the time, before shooting his text.

_ Are you done for the day? -Liam _

He didn’t get an answer, but two minutes later, his phone rang, and he accepted the video call. On the other side of the country, Theo looked tired, but still happy to see him.

“Hey you.” He said, before sitting on a bed. “Long time no see.”

Liam smiled at that, but he felt his stomach twist. Theo had never been anything but supportive, and still, he knew how he felt about Disney. There was something in him that was convinced the other actor wouldn’t be really happy about the events. Still, Liam was kind of excited about it, and he would rather be the one telling Theo than just him learning about it in the press.

“Hey. Did you have a good day?”

“Average. These special effects shoots are more boring than you can imagine.”

“Oh. Who else is on set with you right now?”

Theo tried to tame his hair, before looking around him. “I’m at the hotel right now, but I’ve been shooting with Lydia and Malia a lot.”

“That makes sense.”

Liam opened his mouth to continue, but he closed it soon enough. He stared at Theo, who was so far away that the memory of his skin was only a shadow in Liam’s mind. He wanted to go there, to see him. He needed to. It was getting worse, and worse, being so far away. And still, he knew things were not going to get any easier.

“Liam?” Theo called, on the screen. “Liam, what is happening?”

And there it was. No other option, just the truth.

“I kinda got some news.”

“Some news?”

“From Erica.”

“Oh. Well, tell me?”

Theo’s voice sounded casual, but his eyes were burning with something that was more than interest, and Liam wondered what he was hoping for. Did Theo want Liam to keep going on with his career? Or was he expecting to learn Disney had definitely fired him? Why did it matter so much, when earlier that day, he had been so happy to tell his mother that he was finally back on track?

“I… You know, there was a show Erica was pushing for?”

“The one about the singing high-school?”

“Yeah. That one. Well, I…” Liam breathed in, before almost whispering the end of his sentence. “I got it.”

“... You did?”

Liam immediately knew he had been right, because if Theo was trying to look happy, his face had closed off again, and that had never been a good sign. Still, he knew he needed to make things right, and keeping information wasn’t a good way to.

“Yes. I got it. It’s a part in the leading cast, and I would be in a lot of episodes, and sing. We… I gave my agreement today.”

“Well. That’s… That’s good.”

Liam sighed, defeated. “Theo. I can see you. Just tell me.”

The other actor moved a bit, biting his lips for a second, before offering Liam a small sad smile. “I’m happy for you. I truly am. You really wanted this, and you fought for it. You deserve it.”

“I feel there is a but coming.”

And the fact that Theo didn’t jump on the occasion to make a joke was surely proof that he was really focusing on something else.

“There is no but. Not really. You wanted this, and you got it. How long… How long is this going to last?”

“The shoot?”

“The whole thing. Shooting, but also appearances, and media, and… You know.”

“Well, it’s only one season for now, but they are hoping to get at least three. So I would say around two years at least.”

“Two years.” Theo processed the news. “Okay. Two years.”

“What is the problem?” Liam finally asked. “I can see there is one.”

Theo had the decency not to lie, or pretend. He looked at the phone, just like Liam had done a few seconds before. Like he knew his next words might break whatever they had right now.

“Two years Liam. That’s a lot.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you think… About me?”

Liam wished he had the perfect answer to that, but he never had been the one with the words. That was Theo. And honestly, he had no idea what he was supposed to say, so he settled for the truth.

“I tried not to.”

A silence answered him, and he avoided the screen. Why did it feel like the world was crumbling around him? 

“Yeah. I figured.” Theo said, his voice a bit cold. “Look, I feel like we need to be honest about this. Both you and I. Okay?”

“Sure.” 

“I’ve learnt a lot about Disney through you Li. A lot. And what I saw… What I saw doesn’t really comfort me. I respect your choice. I always told you I would. You are free to do whatever you want, and if that is what you need, then, yes, I’m happy that you got it. I’m… I’m happy if this makes you happy.”

“It does.” Liam said, because he still felt the fuzzy feeling of being wanted by the channel again. “That’s what I was hoping for.”

“Then, good for you. Really. I need you to understand that. Because what I am going to say next is… Harsher. And I don’t want you to think I don’t understand how much you worked for this, and how important it is to you.”

Liam swallowed, and sat on one of the chairs. 

“Okay.”

“Liam. I like you a lot. What happened… What happened was incredible, and you are incredible. You are loving, and caring, and funny, and so witty. You are totally dynamite.” Theo let a small laugh escape his lips. “You are really important to me. And I like you.” 

“... But?”

Theo sighed, and looked at the screen, like he didn’t want to pronounce the words. When he finally opened his mouth, Liam felt dread coming for him.

“But I don’t think being with you on this journey is gonna work for me.”

It felt like a slap in the face, and even though there was a part of Liam who already knew this was going to happen, it didn’t make it any easier. He didn’t say a thing, as Theo was struggling to continue.

“I want to be there for you, and I want you to be in my life. But there are also other things I want with you, and those things won’t happen as long as you are part of this.”

“We don’t know…” Liam tried, but Theo was quicker.

“I know enough. And I don’t blame you for any of it. But I can’t go on with hiding from everyone for the next two or three years. I can’t see you around your co-stars, and people speculating about you being with one of the girls, and Disney asking you to play nice.” Theo started to talk quicker, like he was afraid Liam would interrupt him again. “I don’t want to hide in hotel rooms, and hope that no one will take a picture. I don’t mind not saying that I… I am with you, or not holding your hands. But I don’t want to be with you if you are afraid a picture of us might ruin your career.”

“What are you trying to tell me?” Liam whispered.

“I’m telling you that, if this is the path you have chosen, it will have to be a path without us.”

Liam didn’t answer. He looked at Theo, who was pinching his nose, and trying to hide his eyes.

“Fuck. Look, Li, I really want you to have everything. But the spotlight being on you isn’t going to be kind to us. So I think it’s better… To just let it go.”

“Let it go?” Liam felt his heart sink. “Do you mean… Breaking up?”

“... Yeah.”

The both of them stayed quiet for a minute, before Theo asked “Do you understand my point?”

And Liam did. It would have been shitty of him to expect Theo to hide away with him. Two years was a long time, and indeed, Disney was probably going to push a few love interests on him. At this point, asking Theo to stay would be closer to abuse than love.

“Yeah. I think I get it.”

“I really, really care for you.”

“I know that.” Liam said, quietly, finally looking at the screen again. “And I care about you.”

It didn’t feel enough. Those were not the words Liam should have said to Theo. Maybe he should have explained how his heart was slowly breaking, one piece at a time. Maybe he should have tried to remember how it felt, being so close, and then so far from him. Maybe he should have told him everything that went through his mind every time he thought about Theo.

But Liam wasn’t ready.

“So this is goodbye?” He asked, instead, trying to stand tall against the chair.

“What? No. I hope not. I mean, if you are comfortable with it, we can keep texting, you know? Like… Friends.”

“Friends.” Liam repeated. 

“Only if you want to.”

“I want to.” He said quickly, because keeping a piece of Theo was better than nothing at all. “I… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry Liam.” And that sounded honest, as Theo’s voice was comforting. “Be proud. You made your choice. Just like I told you to.”

“But this means…”

“There are no choices without consequences. It’s okay.”

“I didn’t want…”

“It’s okay Liam.  _ I would choose you too. _ ”

And that? That broke Liam’s heart more than anything in the world.

* * *

_ I told Mason. Just so you know. -Liam _

_ I figured. -Theo _

_ Just thought you would want to know. -Liam _

_ Are you going to say anything to your friends ? -Liam _

_ I thought they were your friends too. -Theo _

_ But, no, I don’t plan any big announcements. It’s not like we were official or anything. -Theo _

* * *

_ hey -Liam _

_ Hi. -Theo _

_ How are you ? -Liam _

_ Fine, you ? -Theo _

_ Fine. What’s up ? -Liam _

* * *

_ You didn’t react to my last tweet… -Liam _

_ Oh ? yeah. Sorry ? -Theo _

_ Just didn’t know what to say. -Theo _

_ You didn’t have this problem before. -Liam _

_ Yep. Well, things have changed. -Theo _

_ Okay. -Liam _

_ Look, it’s nothing against you, okay ? I’m just trying to find a balance here. -Theo _

_ Got you. -Liam _

_ Stop being so passive aggressive please. -Theo _

_ I’m not ? -Liam _

_ Okay. -Theo _

* * *

_ Saw your picture on twitter for the announcement of the show. Congrats. -Theo _

_ Thanks :) -Liam _

* * *

_ Liam, can we talk ? -Theo _

_ Can’t RN. AM AT A SHOOTING. -Liam _

_ Call me ASAP. -Theo _

* * *

_ Turn on the TV on channel 4 now. -Mason _

Liam looked at Mason’s text, frowning, but he grabbed the remote. He felt his throat tighten as Theo appeared on the big screen. He was laughing, probably at something the host just said. Sally Wellsman: one of the best interviewers he knew, facing Theo with excitement on her face. Whatever he had promised to tell her, she thought it was going to be good. Theo was talking, probably answering one of her questions.

“... filming ended. It was an amazing experience, and I hope people love the movie. I mean, I love the movie, so I’ll go see it as many times as needed to make it a hit. I just need to clear my schedule for the months to come. If you’re looking for me, I’ll probably be in the cinema watching ‘Tomorrow Awaits’ three times a day.”

People were always hyped up during these shows, and they reacted like he had just announced the best news in the universe. Liam sighed.

“So, Theo,” Sally said, as the laughter died around them. “A little bird told me you have just been cast for a new movie.”

Theo, his charming persona upfront, smiled at her, before facing the audience.

“I’m not sure I’m supposed to talk about it…”

The audience ate that up, and people started screaming. He acted surprised, before moving his hands towards the public. “Alright, alright. I can’t say too much, but I can say that I knew I wanted this movie since the moment I read the script.”

“What is the story about?” Sally asked, sipping a cup of what was probably water.

“It’s about two guys who found each other in the middle of chaos. It’s about relationships, about how people can find strength in each other. It happens in the middle of the apocalypse, but the whole catastrophe is more a setting, a place where it’s easier to see and feel things.”

“That’s interesting.” Sally said, but Liam, who knew the TV-host by heart, knew perfectly well that she wasn’t all that interested in the script. “So, what made you want to do this movie?”

Theo took his cup, and drank a sip of it, before looking at the audience.

“Well, I felt close to the character I’m going to play. He is a fighter, and he makes the deliberate choice to keep going. I also…”

There was a second there, a second during which Liam understood that something unusual, and scary, was going to happen. 

“I also want to see more queer representation on TV, and having such a big-budget film, about two guys on screen, is an amazing project to be part with.”

“So your character is gay?” Sally said, as the audience started clapping. 

“Yeah.” Theo smiled. “He’s almost as gay as I am.”

Liam felt his heart stop. He could hear the audience going wild, he could see Sally’s satisfied face as she got exactly what she wanted. He knew that Theo must have told her beforehand, how they must have practiced the delivery of these lines. Still. Theo had made the choice to go public about it, and he looked so free and happy. 

Liam had to turn off the TV, promising himself he would watch the entire interview later on. He knew too well what Theo’s announcement meant. He probably just shot himself in the foot, and would have problems getting cast as a romantic partner from now on. But the worst part was what was coming for Liam.

He looked at his phone, already buzzing with Erica’s name. He refused the call twice, before she sent him a text.

_Don’t you dare react to that. No acknowledgement. No congratulations. No reactions. You don’t talk to anyone, you don’t say anything. I’m coming. -Erica_

He knew what happened to people who were too close to outed Hollywood homosexuals. The rumors. The stories. The speculations. Disney would never agree to it. Hell, Erica was probably going to make sure both of their names never appeared on the same cover again. And he loved her, he knew that she would do her best to protect him from the worst, but he wished, for a moment, that he could be free to react as he wanted. He wanted to text Theo. He wanted to mention Theo in a tweet. He wanted to share with the world how fucking proud he was for the guy. Most of all, he wanted Theo to know how happy he was for him.

But Liam also knew the truth. Whatever they promised each other, he wouldn’t be able to see Theo again.. 

* * *

**Theo Raeken is Coming Out (and it’s apparently important to talk about it)!**

There had been rumours, these last few years, rumors we ignored because there are always some people trying to build fantasies, or to hurt famous people. So, when Theo Raeken was seen in a gay club last year, we chose not to talk about it. When people said he had been seen kissing Brett Talbot at an afterparty, we sat on the story.

Because we didn’t have any proof. And because Theo had never talked about it. It’s never fair for a newspaper to put someone's sexuality on trial. As we wouldn’t like our own personal preferences to be out, we chose not to divulgue anything.

But yesterday, on the Sally’s Daily, Theodore Raeken finally decided to come clean about his sexuality.

  
Scratch that. No one needs to come clean about their sexuality. Sexuality is a personal thing, and it should be everyone’s right to keep that to themselves. So let’s just say Theo Raeken decided to be open about the people he loves.

It was clear, from the beginning of the interview, that Theo was there with a message. As he started talking about this movie, and these two guys…The whole redaction started texting each other. We won’t produce any extracts of this group messages, but some of us were ready for the announcement, and some were still doubting. 

And when, finally, he pronounced these words, when finally he said “that  _ his _ character is almost as gay as  _ him _ ”... No one texted for a minute. Because we already knew. Because there was nothing to say, or to add. Then, Sophie said that she was glad he made this decision, and Barbara started wondering about how it could affect his career. We were back to our classics, while trying to decide how we were going to address this.

Because, apparently, we have to address it. Apparently, every single mag in the country is talking about it, so we should do the same. You’ll probably find information everywhere, and people wondering if some of Theo’s friends used to be his lovers. The story will be rewritten, changed, the light on it will change. Theo’s story will never be the same.

But we chose, as a team, and as a family who has followed the actor from a young age, until today, seeing him struggle with fame, with his family, with the loss of his sister, with his pain, and his problems, we chose to focus on one point.

That whole minute when no one texted. When we were looking at the screen, smiling. Happy. Because no one should have to hide, and it’s clear that Theo was ready to share something so personal with the audience. We wondered, in our heads, why now, and why there. But it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that it shouldn’t be a scoop. It shouldn’t sell magazines, and generate millions of views on articles. It should be as simple as saying that Theo’s favorite color is blue, or that he is twenty-three. We shouldn’t even have to know about it. We should be able to wait for celebrities to tell us “this is the person I love” before we start drawing our own conclusions every single time we see them getting closer to someone.

We admit our mistakes, our failures of the past. And we congratulate Theodore Raeken on one simple thing: the lesson of humility he gave us yesterday. We won’t forget, Theo.

The Hollywood Reporter

* * *

**Tumblr : @ishipitshohardbirdscantflystraight**

Okay but my dreams are coming true guys. Theo is gayyyyy and now it’s only Liam who is maybe straight (the fact that he has never been seen with a boy doesn’t mean he isn’t at least bi). I mean, look at the tweets, the instagrams, look at how Theo looks at him in the pictures. I don’t know if Liam is in love with him but I will die saying that fucking Theodore Raeken is in love with fucking Liam Dunbar!

* * *

**@CoreyBryant**

This guy is flyyyyy! Welcome to the LGBT+ family @TheTheoRae. We were waiting for you!

**@MasonHewitt**

We need to double date asap @TheTheoRae ;)

* * *

**Tumblr : @afangirlwholovesguysandgirls**

Guys, isn’t it weird that Liam didn’t even officially react to Theo’s interviews? Almost everyone did, and they usually have those tweets together and now Liam has gone silent?

**- >@Imsoblueimeangay**

Maybe they did celebrate together wink wink wink

**- >>@tellmestoriesiwilllistentoyou**

I’m kinda thinking Liam is still linked to Disney and they have still a hand on him. If it’s the case, and they still kind of control his publicity, he won’t answer.

* * *

_ Please sing a DC song this week ! The producers will love it ! -Erica _

Liam looked at the text, and sighed. He had no idea what he could sing. None of the Disney Channel classics seems to be right for this. He knew he was supposed to be happy, and look satisfied, but he felt exactly nothing like that.

He looked at the pictures at the entrance of his apartment, and he could remember perfectly how Theo had been there, looking at them, talking about them. He remembered Theo’s presence everywhere in the flat. The other actor had left a shadow that didn’t seem to leave, and Liam didn’t know if he was tired of it, or if he feared its absence.

Nothing had gone according to plan. Maybe the problem had been that there was no plan. They had tried their best, but the circumstances would never be on their side. He wished things could have gone differently. He wished he wouldn’t be preparing the camera alone. He wished Theo could be there, looking at him, mocking him, and just loving him.

Had it been love ? How was Liam supposed to know now that it was over ? It was like touching something with the tip of his fingers only to see it evaporate.

So many regrets flooded his heart. If only… If only.

* * *

@LiamDunbar (tagging @DisneyChannel) 

_ If only - 4:06 _

A million thoughts in my head   
Should I let my heart keep listening   
'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line   
Nothing lost but something missing

I can't decide   
What's wrong, what's right   
Which way should I go

If only I knew what my heart was telling me   
Don't know what I'm feeling   
Is this just a dream?   
Ah oh, yeah   
If only I could read the signs in front of me   
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be   
Ah oh, if only   
If only   
If only


	5. The Aftermath

Liam looked at his phone, where Theo’s name had appeared for the fourth time in a day. He knew the actor was trying to get hold of him, but he was under strict orders to refuse any contact. Still, it hurt, because he wanted nothing more than to answer, and to hear Theo’s voice. He wanted to talk, to understand why he had done this freaking interview. He wanted to explain how he couldn’t acknowledge him anymore. He wanted…

“Liam, are you still with us?” Erica asked, her voice falsely nice. She glanced at him with poise and he winced.

“Yeah, sorry. Personal emergency.”

The representative of Disney didn’t react, but Erica sent him a glare that was full of warnings, and he switched off his phone.

“So, we’re talking 22 episodes, with about 15 songs. It should take around six months to shoot, but we can work around any previous engagement you had.”

“What if the show gets a second season?” Erica asked. “Will we be able to renegotiate the terms of the contract?”

_ We. Us. _

“It will mainly depend on the audience, and on how well Liam’s character will be received.”

“Who is going to play his love interest? Are there already names in the roster?” She was so effective. Brilliant. She knew the questions to ask, and the points that needed to be made. Even the representative couldn’t escape her.

“We already have a few names, yes, but nothing is set. We’re still auditioning girls but…”

“But you’d like a household name, just like Liam.” Erica finished. “I can think of a few girls.”

The representative offered her a smile so faked that it made Liam grin. “I’ll be happy to listen to your ideas on the subject.”

“What about Hayden?” Liam asked, suddenly. “Not as my love interest, but in the show? Isn’t there something for her?”

The representative seemed ill-at-ease, and he looked at Erica, who sighed. “Liam… You have to understand…”

“She’s been punished long enough. She deserves to be given another chance,” he tried to explain. But Erica's smile became genuinely sad.

“Liam… Hayden isn’t part of Disney Channel anymore.”

“What?”

“They didn’t renew her contract. She was officially let go two weeks ago.”

He tried to take the information in stride, but he felt his throat tighten. Hayden wasn’t there anymore. His partner, the girl who had been next to him for so long… Wouldn’t be there anymore. Because she had made a mistake, just one mistake. He felt the same pang of fear he had felt at the time. Disney loved him. But Disney used to love Hayden and now, they didn’t even care about her.

Maybe one day, he would be the one who they would abandon.

And this idea should have made him sick in the stomach, or panic, or worry, but… But it didn’t. In fact, thinking about it for more than a second, it almost made him feel… Peace. 

No more Disney Channel. No more control. No more rules. Hayden was finally free. He remembered her Instagram post, that picture of her. She had looked so happy. He understood now. That must have been shortly after the announcement. 

“Liam?” Erica said, trying to bring him back to the conversation again. “Do you have any specific questions?”

He looked at her, taking his time. She had been there since the beginning, fighting for him, working with him. She had been by his side through all of his firsts. His first contract, his fist photoshoot, his first episode, his first magazine cover… It went on, and on, and on. And he felt grateful for her, because he knew he had been lucky to have her guiding him. 

Except there were no more firsts anymore. At least none that Erica could help with. He had done everything on Disney, and had been offered the most amazing opportunities. But it was over.

It was over, he found out, still looking at her. He didn’t want any more of it. He had been forcing himself through this whole process, trying to get a grasp of it, when in fact, he had been out since… Since a long time ago.

Suddenly, the stress was there. In his bones, in his stomach, in his muscles. But not the stress he was worried about. No, it was all about being truthful and finally making a decision for himself.

He thought about Theo, about his smile, about how he had understood. About their banter, and their fights. About the kisses and the nights spent together. It would have been wrong to make a decision for a boy. But it felt right to make it for what he stood for.

Freedom.

Could he imagine?

Freedom.

“Yeah, I have a question,” he said slowly, his voice unsure, his heart beating fast, and blood coming to his ears. “What is the right way to act for an immediate cessation of my contract?”

  
  


* * *

**@LiamDunbar**

Hi you guys, 

It feels weird to write another one of those notes, but I know most of you follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and that it’s the best way to communicate with you. So, you will soon learn that I am not part of Disney anymore. I had the best time there, and I would like to thank all the producers I’ve worked with, the writers, the amazing crews, whether it was on Augustus, or on The Apprentice, and all my co-stars. I remember each and every single one of you, and I probably will for the rest of my life.

Thank you to all the people who believed in me, who supported me, who made sure I was taken care of, and loved. Thanks to you, the fans, the audience, for watching, laughing, and crying with me.

I feel like a page is turning, but don’t worry. I have a lot of projects, for which I’m excited. I’ll keep writing, composing and singing. I really hope some of you will follow me through this new adventure.

I hope that you will understand my decision. Again, thank you for the amazing memories.

Sincerely yours, Liam

* * *

**Tumblr : @blackandpureofheart**

What the fuck happened? I went to sleep with Liam playing a football player in the new Disney series, and when I wake up he has announced that he won’t be part of Disney anymore? Like… What the fuck happened for him to just change his mind? Or did they fire him? Nobody knows anything, that’s so weird. Like, if he had pulled a Hayden, we would know about it right? There would be rumors, or something, but there is none. He was talking about the show on his live insta, you guys, that means he had signed up for the thing, and he had been vetoed. What. The. Fuck. I feel like we’re going to learn he is doing drugs or something. God, what a way to wake up.

**Tumblr : @istillbelieveinlayden**

Liam :cryingemoji: i just had so many feelings about seeing him back on the screen :cryingemoji:

**Tumblr : @lolcheckoutyourfavestheysuck**

I’m sooooo curious about the whole thing. Liam talks about it like he is the one who took the decision but we all know it’s probably Disney who fired his ass, just like they did with Hayden. I can’t wait to learn that he is so not picture perfect. I don’t dislike the guy, but he lied to his fans for years so….

* * *

Instagram Live posted by @LiamDunbar

Time : 4mn12

_I can't stay here_   
_I am not the guy_   
_Who runs and hides_   
_Afraid of what could be_

_And I will go there_   
_I need time, but know_   
_That things are always closer_   
_Than they seem_

_Now I'll do more than dream yeah!_

_I'm gonna fly_   
_Gonna crash right through the sky_

* * *

**Tumblr : @isthiamofficialyet**

Day 136 : No

**Tumblr : @iloveliaaaaaaam**

omg you guys did you hear Liams last cover? :hearteyes:

**Tumblr : @iamnotastan**

Liam Dunbar looks fresh and happy in his last video. I’m glad. 

* * *

**@PurePeopleLive :** Everything you want to know about Liam Dunbar being let go by Disney : *Why Liam Dunbar was a ticking bomb for Disney Channel*

**@alonelysoul :** omg have you seen the article about Liam being a jerk to everyone? I’m shook

**- > @whattheheckishappeningtome** : I can’t believe it. Like, the drug part? 

**- >->@alonelysoul :** I mean, he is friends with Theo Raeken so…

**@WatchMojoDotCom** : Five times we loved Liam Dunbar, and five times we should have known something wasn’t right. 

**@PerezHilton** : Read my article about the 10 Liam Dunbar secrets you didn’t know about (number 3 will blow your mind).

**@ExtraPeople** : ALL THE PROOF LIAM DUNBAR IS STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION : Witnesses, pictures, and our take on it.

-> **@TheTheoRae** : ALL THE PROOF TABLOIDS WOULD PUT ANYTHING IN CAPS TO MAKE YOU CLICK ON A LINK BECAUSE THEY ARE SHIT

**@officiallyinlovewithliamduunbar** : OMG YOU GUYS HAVE YOU SEEN THEOS RAEKEN TWEET TO EXTRA PEOPLE?

**@nonono** : I’m dying at Theo’s Raeken lack of any type of respect for anyone. That guy slays.

* * *

**@blackandpureofheart**

Okay, let me try to gather the info that we have.

First, Liam was definitely still under contract three days ago. He was still listed on their website and everything.    
Second, something happened and he got fired. Or did he? It’s not clear, though Disney wouldn’t probably out anyone about substance abuse or messes. Let’s just say something happened.

Third… Theo Raeken is ready to fight for Liam, so either he doesn’t know about what happened, or he doesn’t care??? 

I am eyeing Mason Hewitt’s Twitter and he hasn’t posted anything since the news. That could be proof that something bad happened. 

Okay, but also, Liam posted a video of him singing This Time, by Darren Criss and like… It’s like he is talking about leaving Disney? It’s messing up with my head.

**@justafangirldontmindme**

Hayden is still nowhere to be seen. Or heard. I’m really curious about the whole situation.

* * *

**@LiamDunbar**

Hi everyone. As I am taking some time with my family and my friends, please be mindful of what you see on the internet. Till we meet again ;)

* * *

Liam waited for the driver to come back to the car, confirming he hadn’t seen any paparazzi around. It was still dark outside, but Liam chose to wear his sunglasses, just in case. He quickly made his way to the front door, which opened before he had time to knock.

“Come in, quick!” His mother said, and he entered the old house that smelled just like home. Jenna closed the door, and locked it, before engulfing him in a warm hug. “I’m so, so, so glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad too.” He whispered in her ear, allowing himself to close his eyes and just live the moment. “It’s been too long.”

“It definitely has.” She said, but she didn’t sound like she was angry, or sad. “Are you hungry? I made some pizza in case…”

“I’m fine.” He answered, his stomach still twisted. After the wave of relief he had felt when leaving the Disney building, worry had taken its place in his bones. “Maybe just a glass of water?”

His mother looked at him with a smile. “Are you sure you don’t want something stronger?”

In the same second, Theo’s face flashed in front of his eyes, and he felt himself wince. “No. Water is good.”

Jenna looked curious, but they made their way to the small kitchen, and she poured herself a tea, while Liam played with the glass of water in front of him.

“You must be tired.” She said quietly. 

“Yeah. Kinda.”

“You can just go to sleep, you know? You don’t owe me any explanation, or anything.”

Liam couldn’t help but feel a pang of love for the woman in front of him. He knew she must have been worried, and full of questions, but as always, she tried to make him comfortable, and he cherished her for that.

“I know.” He answered, before sighing. “But I guess now is as good as anytime to talk.”

There was a long silence, as she sipped on her hot beverage, waiting for him to continue. 

“I don’t even know where to start.” He confessed. “I think there are things I should have said to you like… Months ago. And I don’t know how to…”

“Hey.” His mother put her mug back on the counter, before coming to sit in front of him. She grabbed his hands in hers, and squeezed. “Liam. It’s okay. Whatever happened. I am your mom, and I can take it. I will always be there for you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. I know that.” He sighed. “God, how am I supposed to start this? Do you remember the whole thing with Hayden?”

She raised an eyebrow, and smiled. “Yes. I do remember that part. I mean, it was your decision to keep going with it, and I didn’t want to intrude, but I felt like I should have protected you from this whole shitshow.”

“Mom!” He gasped. “Language!”

She laughed, her fingers comforting against the back of his hands. “It was a shitshow Liam. Hayden being seen like this, people talking… I was very proud when I saw how you handled it. You were so mature, and I’m glad you didn’t make her, or Theo Raeken look like the bad guys there.”

“Yeah.” Liam said, as he tried to remember how it had felt at the time. “Well, Theo… I met Theo when I went with Mason to the X-Men set, you know?”

“I have seen some things, yes. But I try not to believe the magazines, so…”

“He was a dick. And I kinda was too.”

She laughed again, the smile not reaching her eyes, but still warm. “Sweetie, you do have a tendency to antagonize some people. Well, you used to, before the whole Disney thing.”

“I’m not… He is way more antagonizing than me!” Liam tried. “Seriously. It took me weeks to like him.” 

She hummed under her breath. “I can see that. But tell, me Liam… Why are we talking about Theo Raeken?”

“Because it’s all part of the story”, he sighed again. Then, he saw the look on her face. “God, no, mom! I didn’t do drugs, or anything! Theo didn’t either! He is like completely sober now.”

“Okay. Okay, I believe you.” She nodded quickly, apologetic. “Sorry dear, but you have to understand. You were so far from me, and I felt like there were things you didn’t tell me, and then you sent me a cryptic text about severing ties with Disney. I worried.”

“I was safe, mom.” And for the first time, Liam believed it. “I was so safe for these months, you have no idea.”

“Safe?”

“From what people expected of me. From Disney, even. I met people, and they liked the real me. I had fun, I did things, but I was so safe. Because I was surrounded by people who cared.”

Jenna nodded slightly. “Okay. So, it felt good.”

“Yeah. And then Erica called me, and I had another offer from Disney, and I was kind of glad at first, because it meant work, and money, but then I saw the contract, and I just couldn’t… I couldn’t make it.” Liam’s voice broke on the last words. “I’m sorry. I know it’s so… I was lucky enough to get cast in another Disney tv-show, and I said no. I know it…”

“Liam.” His mother whispered, before standing up to hug him. “It’s okay. No one is judging you for choosing to put yourself first. I had no idea you didn’t want to keep going on with them. Had I known, I would have never pushed you in this direction. It’s okay.”

It felt good to hear it from her, and at the same time, this whole conversation echoed another one, and he kept hearing the whisper of Theo’s words.

_ “I would choose you. And you should do the same.” _

“I didn’t know. But when the offer was on the table, I felt… I just had to leave.” He tried to explain. “I know it’s a lot of money, but…”

“I don’t care about the money Liam, and neither should you. You have enough saved to live a little. And no amount of money is worth having you feel bad, or pressured.”

He let out a shaky breath.

“Theo said the same thing.” He said, in a small voice. “Well, he didn’t tell me to refuse, or anything, but he kept saying I had to think about me, and…”

“He seems like a good person.” 

“He is, mom. You have no idea. He is so… I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I’m glad you had friends you could listen to when your mother didn’t see that you were unhappy.” Jenna said, her chin on Liam’s shoulder, and he tensed a bit.  _ Friends. _

“About that. Mom, I have to tell you something else.”

She must have seen his reaction, because she took a step back. “Tell me.”

He looked at her, and for a second, he wondered what he was afraid of. His mother had always been supportive, and she had loved him through the best and the worst. He tried to exhale.

“Theo wasn’t just a friend.”

She didn’t react. She just looked at him, interest in her eyes and he wondered if a part of her already knew.

“Theo was kind of my boyfriend?” He tried, and he didn’t have time to see her face, before she was hugging him again. Then, her voice rose, next to his ear. “I’m so proud of you Liam. For this, and for everything. So proud.”

And then, finally, the first tears finally left his eyes. 

* * *

**@PurePeople** : Where is Liam Dunbar hiding, and why? Check out our new article : xxx

**- > @TheTheoRae :** You people have no respect for anything or anyone. Remember when you posted pictures of my sister’s funeral? 

**\- - > @MasonHewitt :** Have you people ever heard of boundaries? Privacy? No?

**\- - - > @CoreyBryant** : Don’t waste your time with the article, they don’t even know that Liam is hiding in my secret apartment :’)

* * *

**@CoreyBryant** : You don’t get it you guys. I’m really harbording Liam Dunbar in my Super Secret Apartment in NY City!

**- > @ScottMcCallOfficial** : What? Not possible, we are having an impromptu road trip, see picture of our motorcycles attached.

**\- - > @MasonHewitt** : Stop lying. He is currently in Texas at my Mom’s. He loves the biscuits.

**\- - - > @LydiaMartin** : Did you mean my Lake House in Michigan? He is definitely getting a tan.

**\- - - - > @HaydenRomero** : And with all of this, no one noticed we eloped in Paris <3

**\- - - - - > @TheTheoRae** : You guys are wild lol. But everyone knows he is currently hiding under my bed. My personal Monster. *Bo gif*

* * *

**@Buzzfeed :** Take this test to know which one of the X-Men crew would defend you on Twitter!

**@Buzzfeed :** 15 gifs that summed up our reaction when we saw Theo Raeken and Hayden Romero defend Liam Dunbar from the rumors on Twitter!

* * *

**Twitter goes wild as the X-Men cast and others pretend to be harboring Liam Dunbar!**

* * *

“So… What are your plans now?” Liam’s mother asked him, as he looked at his turned-off cellphone. It had been a few days since he had arrived, and he had spent most of his days sleeping, or watching movies. 

“Hm?”

“You know you won’t be able to hide all your life, right? Not that I wouldn’t love to harbor you from all these people but… You still have friends, Liam.”

Jenna sat on the couch, and Liam looked at her, thoughtful. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

“What do you want to do?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t really… I don’t know.” He hesitated, before asking. “How bad is it?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Online? Oh, the usual. Rumors and stories. But there are good things too.”

“So… I still have some fans?” He wondered, straightening against a cushion.

“Fans and friends Liam.”

He nodded, but his mind went elsewhere. Friends. Who could be supporting him while he had chosen not to communicate anymore.

“I got a call from Mason.” She finally said, and Liam opened his mouth, but she was quicker. “I know, I know, you told me not to take any calls, and to block everyone, but he is your best friend, and he is really worried. They all are.”

“They?” His voice became a whisper, as he tried not to hope too much. She must have seen right through his facade, because she smiled.

“Well, Mason that’s for sure. Erica calls twice a day. Hayden is asking too. Mason’s Corey. Scott McCall, apparently? Also that Lydia Martin girl. And obviously, Theo.”

If Liam heart missed a beat, he tried not to show it.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. I mean, you can take all the time you want, but I think it would be good for you to see them.”

“I’m not sure…”

“I told Mason you were okay. And to tell all these nice people that you needed time. I just wanted you to know that you aren’t alone, okay?”

She kissed his hair, leaving him in his thoughts.

* * *

When Liam switched on his phone, on the seventh day, he closed his eyes as the different applications updated, making it buzz non-stop for a few minutes. He tried to ignore the amount of mentions on social media, and went straight to his private texts.

He winced at the 102 texts from Mason, and scrolled down until he found Theo’s name. He had sent exactly ten messages. With a shaky thumb, Liam clicked on his name.

_ I just saw your post. WTF. CALL ME? -Theo _

_ Liam, whatever happened, we can talk about it. That’s what friends do, remember? I get that you were ignoring me about the interview but this is huge, and I just want to talk. -Theo _

_ Hey Li. Saw your song on instagram. Are you still ignoring me? -Theo _

_ I’m sorry but I had to know, so I reached out to Mason and he is worried too. Let us know you are okay. -Theo _

_ So, I saw your post about needing time and everything. Alright, I’ll guess I’ll wait for you to text me. -Theo _

_ This is so freaking hard, you know? I don’t know what is happening to you, or what you are doing, but I want to be there for you. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about the interview. I didn’t want you to try to talk me out of it. Still, it was shitty, and I understand if you are angry. I’m sorry. Please answer me. -Theo _

_ So apparently, all these messages didn’t get delivered. Guess your phone is off. Mason talked to your mother and she says you are fine. I hope it’s the truth. -Theo _

_ I’m fucking pissed off. You said you would always be there, and you told me all those things and now you’ve chosen to disappear from the world and you don’t even check your texts. Fuck off. -Theo _

_ I’m sorry for yesterday's text. I was angry at the situation, not at you. You get to have your time. You deserve some peace. I won’t try to contact you again, I promise. Just letting you now I’m there. If you want me to be. -Theo _

_ Okay, I said I wouldn’t contact you, but I just need to tell you a few things. First, and you can hate me for it, but I’m so glad you are finally free from these people. I hope you can see it too. Second, I miss you like crazy. I miss your voice, and your smile, and all those things you just say. I miss seeing your name on my phone. I miss your random calls and the faces you make. I miss your arms, and your skin, and all of you. But most of all I miss the way you see the world, your eternal optimism, and the way you looked at me like I wasn’t broken. I need you, and it’s selfish, but maybe you need me too. This is like, my last message. But I just wanted you to know that I’m still there, still waiting for you, and I would take all of you over anything else. I still want you, and not only as a friend. I’ll take whatever you can give me. But I’m there, and I’m not budging. Not now, not ever. Whatever you want from me, you can have it. I’m laying it all at your feet. That sounds like something you would say. Look what you made out of me. Please, Liam. Let me know how I can make it better. xoxo -Theo _

Liam read the messages a second time, trying to imagine how they would have sounded if Theo had pronounced them. He was pretty sure Theo would have never said half the things he had written, but it felt nice, picturing a soft and careful Theo. And Liam would have been a liar if he had told anybody he didn’t miss him. The texts made it worse, in a way. There was no ignoring what he felt.

He opened Mason’s texts, and discovered that after a few tentative messages, his best friend has resolved himself in sharing screencaps of Theo aggressively defending him on twitter. Liam laughed at some tweets, and winced at others, as he could see the tabloids had gone crazy with stories, but it still felt good to see that so many of his friends had tried to defend him. He smiled at them pretending to harbor him, and felt his heart warm up. His mother was right. He still had people who cared for him, and fans who believed in him. 

He looked at himself in the mirror, and shrugged, before clicking on instagram. He selected the instant video, and waited for a few seconds, until his phone connected. He tried to get his hair to stand down, but the hours spent on a pillow didn’t really help.

“Hi.” He said, with a smile, as the number of people joining the chat seemed to explode. “Hello everybody. This is going to be quick.” 

He tried to ignore the thousands of messages a second from the fans, and focused on his own face. “I have taken some time for myself, and I already feel so much better. Not that I wasn’t okay before. But sometimes, you need time and silence. I just wanted to thank all the people who were so supportive. I love each and every single of you so much. I know there are articles and stories about me being… Well, not a nice, or sane person. I’ll let you be the judge of that. I also wanted to say thank you to my friends, who never left my side. You know who you are. Your support, and your love, means the world to me. I’ll take some time still to figure out what I want to do, but you can be sure I’ll be back soon. I’ll try to connect for a singing session later. Not promising anything. Well, that was me. Liam Dunbar. Loving all of you.”

He clicked on the exit button, and went back to his texts.

_ Can we talk? -Liam _

* * *

Liam looked at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time in an hour. In front of him, his mother was trying to hide her smile.

“You know that looking at it won’t make it go faster, right?”

He felt himself blush a little, and took another sip of his coke. Then, he looked at the messages again.

_ Of course -Theo _

_ Would you come to my mom’s? It’s not urgent or anything but I feel like we should talk face to face about all of this. -Liam _

_ Just text me the address and I’ll be there tomorrow morning. -Theo _

Liam had sent the location, and Theo had answered he would come by at ten. There hadn’t been anything else, and now, Liam was wondering what his plan was. He hadn’t thought about it. He just knew that he needed to see Theo, and soon. 

His phone started ringing, and he saw the picture of Theo on the trail, the one he had taken that day, and that he had saved under his name.

“Yeah?” Liam croaked, and his mother stifled a laugh. 

“Hey. I’m on the other side of the road, but there is a guy I think is a paparazzo in front of the gate. I have smoked windows and everything but he could probably…”

“Theo?” Liam interrupted, as he felt his heart beat faster just hearing the actor’s voice. “I don’t care. It’s okay.”

“Are you sure? I can probably try…”

“Seriously. I don’t care about the pictures. Just come.”

“... Alright.”

Theo ended the call, and Liam looked at the door. His mother grabbed his hand, and squeezed it. “Buddie, it’s going to be okay.”

“I know.” He lied, and then, someone started knocking, and his mother went to open the door. “Come in, Theo!” She said, warm and at ease, letting him enter before locking the door behind them. “I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

Liam missed Theo’s answer, because he was too busy just looking at him. He was wearing dark jeans, a washed-out t-shirt, his beanie, and a dark pair of sunglasses that he quickly took off. His face was a little too pale, but his cheeks were flushed as he talked to Jenna. His eyes were avoiding Liam, and he wondered if he had been too late. How much damage had he done?

“I think I’m going to go listen to some music upstairs, alright?” Liam’s mother said, before smiling at Liam. “Just text me if you need anything.”

“Thanks mom.” He whispered, before taking a few steps in Theo’s direction. Theo, who took a deep breath, before finally looking at Liam. They didn’t move for a bit, each looking at the other like it had been years, before Theo finally muttered “Can I hug you?”.

And that definitely broke Liam’s facade, because a second later, he was holding Theo close against him, his fingers chasing the hem of his shirt. He felt Theo tense for a second, before giving in to the embrace, and Liam moved his head so he could hide it in Theo’s neck. Theo’s hands against his back were a little too stiff at first, and then, like he was slowly realising that this was happening, and that Liam was okay with it, squeezing him a little too hard. 

“Hi.” Liam whispered against Theo’s skin, and he was pretty sure Theo repressed a sob before answering “Hi” in a shiver. 

They stayed like this, just enjoying the comfortable presence of each other, until Liam caught a whiff he knew too well. “You smell like planes.”

“I took one.” Theo answered, not letting him go.

“What? Why?”

“I was in New York.”

“You should have told me…”

“I just fucking wanted to see you.” 

It sounded like a confession, and Liam just played with the hair in Theo’s neck. 

“I wanted to see you too.”

“Good.”

Theo didn’t seem ready to let go, but Liam knew there were some things that still needed to be said, so he kept his hands against Theo’s neck, taking in how warm he was, and how perfect they fit.

“I’m sorry I went AWOL.”

“Yeah.”

“I was lost and I needed to process…”

“I don’t blame you.”

“You should.”

Then, Theo took a step back, to look straight into Liam’s eyes.

“Did you leave Disney? Or did they…”

“I left.” He answered quickly. “You were right, I needed to…”

“Oh god, please don’t tell me you did it because of what…”

“No! I just thought about it, and you were right when you said I needed something else.”

Theo nodded, pressing a quick kiss on Liam’s hair, before freezing. “Sorry.” He articulated, but Liam answered with a laugh.

“Seriously? You came all this way from the other side of the country, and you are apologizing for…”

“That wasn’t  _ friendly _ .”

“I know.” Liam whispered, before kissing Theo at the corner of his lips, and he could see the way the actor stilled against him “This isn’t friendly either.”

“Oh god.” Theo breathed out. “Okay. Bear with me, alright? Last time we talked…”

“Last time we talked I was still thinking I needed to be a Disney boy to be happy.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think that anymore.”

“Good.”

“And I’m sorry I didn’t return your calls after the interview.” Liam said, looking into Theo’s eyes. “I wanted to! I wanted to tell you how proud I was, and how happy I felt for you. I wanted to tell everyone…”

“I didn’t want you to tell anyone. Just me.”

Liam nodded, before slowly saying “I’m fucking proud of you.”

He saw Theo’s smile at the curse, before the other actor was grabbing his chin, and bringing their lips together. It was a little desperate, and Liam felt the warmth slowly invading his bones. His stomach stopped hurting, and he finally felt like something made sense. When Theo finally left him some space to breathe, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“God. That I did miss.”

“Me too.”

“I missed you.”

“Life was kind of shitty without you.” Theo answered, before hugging him again. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Me neither.” Liam admitted, hiding his smile in Theo’s shoulder. “You came for me.”

“Obviously. I was just waiting for a sign that you might…”

“I do.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean Liam.” Theo warned, his voice warm but careful. 

“Okay. So things that I mean.” Liam took his time, trying to remember all the things he never had the courage to say. These last few weeks had been awful, and he wanted Theo to understand. So, he tried to gather his courage. “Things, that I really, really mean. I missed you. A lot. I totally panicked after the interview. I will probably regret how I dealt with it forever. Also, I made the decision for me. Leaving Disney. What else… You were the first person I wanted to see. And…”

He breathed in, and took a step back, to be sure he was able to look at Theo’s eyes. 

“I… Freaking… Love you.”

He wanted to be sure Theo understood him. He wanted to make sure his words would be good enough to translate what it felt like, having Theo finally here with him. And it must have been the case, because Theo sighed, and he pressed a quick kiss to Liam’s lips.

“You seriously think I would do all of this for someone I didn’t love? Come on Liam. We both know I’ve been in love with you since… Since what feels like forever.”

“It’s good to hear it though.” Liam said, his heart beating too fast. “Cause I love you and…”

“Are you gonna say it in every sentence?” Theo asked, smiling too.

“Maybe. I think you deserve to hear it.”

“I could get used to it.”

“Sucker.”

“Charming, as always.”

“You can’t really use that one anymore though.”

Theo seemed to think about it, before kissing him again, slowly, mapping the instant for them. “I think you will always be Charming to me.”

Liam pretends to sigh. “Fine.”

“Don’t act like you don’t like it.”

And honestly? Liam kinda loved it. 

* * *

**@PurePeople :** Theo Raeken visits Liam Dunbar’s family home! EXCLUSIVE PICS INSIDE 

**- > @MasonHewitt** : WHAT? HOW DARE YOU GO SEE A FRIEND @TheTheoRae

**\- - > @CoreyBryant** : He is such a heathen!

**\- - - > @ScottMcCall** : does that mean I have been road tripping with someone who isn’t Liam??? Pls answer quick this is awkward. 

**\- - - - > @LiamDunbar** : Sorry Scott, I was under Theo’s bed the whole time. *boo gif*

* * *

Tumblr  
  


**@isthiamofficialyet**

Day 145 : No but … come on

**@liamdunbarandtheoraeken** omg you guys i’m crying! Not only did we get a video from Liam, he finally posted on twitter to answer the other’s having fun with the media and i’m so glad he is doing okay!! Also can we talk about the fact that he says he was hiding under Theo’s bed the whole time?? Like come on, you know you ship it!!!

* * *

“So… What’s next?” Theo asked, as Liam was laying next to him on the small sofa. His hands were slowly caressing Liam’s back, and it felt finally right.

“I don’t really know.” Lian answered, honestly. “I spent the last week just sleeping and trying not to panic.”

“Do you still want to sing?”

“Yeah, that’s for sure. But I have all the time in the world for that.” Liam moved a little, but he was glad when Theo didn’t stop his movements. “Remember when we talked about college?”

“Yeah. Can’t really forget that weekend.”

“I could go. I mean, I’m kind of old but…”

He felt Theo laugh against him, and he had no idea how much he missed this feeling. “You are twenty-one, dumbass. Hardly an old age to go to college.”

“I could study literature.”

“Literature?”

“I know, it’s silly.” Liam hid his face in Theo’s arm. “I just… You know, to write songs…”

“I don’t think it’s silly. I think it’s great.” Theo said, and Liam knew he wasn’t lying. “I am still waiting to hear about these songs you have written.”

Liam sighed. “None of them are really good. But… There is one that I kind of worked on these last few days.”

“I thought you didn’t have time for that.”

“I don’t really choose, you know? The lyrics kinda came to me.”

“Want to sing it to me?” Theo’s voice was warm, and if there was a place where Liam felt safe, it was definitely here, in his childhood home, in his arms. He was tempted to say “no”, but at the same time, he wanted everything with Theo. Even showing the other actor that part of him he kept under wrap. So, without moving, he started, his voice low.

_ I’ve explored his body so many times,  _

_ Touched his face to make him mine,  _

_ I found stars and even gold,  _

_ In the tears I wiped when he lost control,  _

_ But I know the story,  _

_ And it’s already too late,  _

_ Cause in his eyes he is ready,  _

_ For the long journey. _

_ I only pray for one more dance,  _ _   
_ _ Before shadows and indifference,  _

_ A last spin, then the silence,  _ _   
_ _ All I want is one more dance. _

Theo didn’t say anything. His hand had stopped, and Liam felt vulnerable. He had never shared anything he had written with anybody, except for a few funny songs with Mason. 

“I know the rhymes are…”

“It’s beautiful.” Theo finally said, his voice hushed, and when Liam looked at him, he was met with shiny eyes, and just awe. “You wrote this?”

“Yeah. It’s not done, and it probably won’t ever be, but…”

“I think it’s amazing. You are amazing.”

Liam allowed himself a shy smile. “Thanks.”

“How many songs have you written?” Theo still seemed not to believe it. 

“A lot? I mean, probably like a hundred of them, but most are just really bad.”

“I want to hear them all.”

Liam just smiled, and raised himself to kiss Theo quickly. But just as he was letting himself fall into the embrace, someone coughed behind him. He moved so fast that he sent his elbow into Theo’s stomach.

“Ugh.”

“Oh god, sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’ll live.” Theo said, trying to sit again. “Hi Mrs Dunbar.”

“Please call me Jenna”, she answered from the doorstep. “I think we are way past this point.”

Theo had the decency to look guilty, and she laughed. “It’s all good boys. I’m glad things are better here.”

Liam smiled, and nodded. “Yep, all good.”

  
  
  


* * *

**Erica Reyes, Liam Dunbar’s ex-publicist, finally talks about what happened!**

In a short comment released to the press, Liam Dunbar’s ex-publicist was quite clear about what happened to the ‘The Apprentice’ star :  _ Yes, Liam was offered a role in a new Disney show, and he considered it. But after doing some thinking, he made the choice not to renew his contract, and to take some distance. Liam has been with Disney for seven years now, and he is a young man who deserves to live his life, and be happy. I’m outraged by the accusations in the media, and I certainly hope the smart people who followed Liam from the beginning, and love him, won’t believe a word of it. _

* * *

**@TheTheoRae :** Always glad to see GOOD people standing together against the awful lies of tabloids.

**- > @LiamDunbar :** GOOD people… So you’re never glad when we stand side by side? :/

**\- - > @TheTheoRae :** Can we say side by side when you are so short?

**\- - - > @LiamDunbar :** IT’S ONLY AN INCH YOU DUMBASS

**\- - - - > @MasonHewitt :** I suddenly miss that time you weren’t talking

**\- - - - - - > @LiamDunbar :** And here I thought you were my friend #RIPMasiam

_ Currently trending in your country : 5. #Thiam 9. #Masiam _

* * *

“So…” Theo asked, eating a bowl of cereals next to Liam. “What are your plans about us ?”

Liam drank some of his orange juice. “I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fucking proud of you for being out. But I don’t want people to start taking about us. More than it’s already the case.” He breathed slowly. “I want us to take our time. Not deadlines, no pressure. I want to enjoy this without having the whole world looking at me.”

Theo smiled, and grabbed his hands, kissing his fingers. “That works for me. But I can’t promise no one will ever…”

“I know.” Liam interrupted him, contentment filling his stomach. “I know you can’t promise that. I can’t either. If we are found out, then, it’s okay. I won’t deny it. I won’t deny you.”

Those words seemed to hit Theo, because he did a double take, and swallowed. “Okay.” He said quietly. “Okay.”

“Theo ? Did I say something…” But Theo interrupted him, his eyes glistening, and his cheeks too red. “Yeah. You did. But not the way you think.” He laughed, but it sounded more like relief than anything else. “I just freaking love you, okay ?”

Liam felt the smile breaking his face in two, and in his eyes, he wished Theo could see everything he felt at that instant. “Good. Because I love you like crazy.”

“Crazy sounds good to me.”

* * *

  
  


**@LiamDunbar**

Hi guys ! I know a lot of you asked for some of the covers, and I still had some songs that I really liked but did never published, so I did a small collection on Spotify. Link :  _ Off-script, a playlist by Liam Dunbar _

  1. _Keep your head up_
  2. _Call me maybe_
  3. _All the right moves_
  4. _Don’t impress me much_
  5. _Everything has changed_
  6. _Leave a light on_
  7. _My house_
  8. _Glad you came_
  9. _Uncover_
  10. _Symphony_
  11. _Secret Love Song_
  12. _Hey Jude_
  13. _Dancing on my own_
  14. _Echo_
  15. _If only_
  16. _A thousand miles_
  17. _S omewhere only we know_



* * *

**@TheTheoRae :** Sometimes, in life, you have to go... #OffScript @LiamDunbar #Checkitoutguysitsawesome  
 **- > @LiamDunbar : **Hey, bro. Want to go #OffScript with me ?  
 **\-- > @TheTheoRae** : Always.


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